13-7-2023 (BANGKOK) Four Thai women in Myanmar have come forward seeking repatriation after falling victim to an illegal job broker on TikTok. They allege that they were promised work as public relations staff but were coerced into working as prostitutes instead.
The story gained attention when a video was shared on the Ninja Today Facebook fan page on Wednesday, featuring two Thai women pleading for assistance to return home. One of the women tearfully expressed their ordeal, stating, “Help us, please. We want to come back home. We were duped into working in Myanmar. We have reached out to every Thai government agency we know of, but nobody helped us. They only told us to wait. Please help us.”
According to the video description, the women, originally from Ubon Ratchathani, were offered employment in Tachileik, a border town across from Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai. However, they were deceived and sent to Mong Pauk, a city in the independent Wa State, approximately 10 kilometers from the China border, where they were forced into prostitution.
The recruiter had promised the women good pay, free accommodation, food, and transportation from Thailand to Tachileik. After applying for the job and receiving 10,000 baht for travel expenses, they traveled to Mae Sai. From there, they were taken to Tachileik through a natural border crossing. Another six-hour journey led them to Mong Pauk, where they discovered the true nature of their situation.
Kay, a 35-year-old woman from Ubon Ratchathani, recounted that she and her friend had no choice but to engage in prostitution or face physical abuse and starvation.
Fortunately, they were still able to use their mobile phones to reach out for help. They sent photos and videos to the Facebook page of CSI LA, an organization combating human trafficking, which subsequently contacted Baan Hia Charn, a shelter for vulnerable individuals based in Ubon Ratchathani. Baan Hia Charn then sought assistance from local authorities, including Ubon Ratchathani’s police chief, Pol Col Khanongrit Dara, and the owner of the Ninja Today Facebook page.
CSI LA estimated that 1.2 million baht would be needed to secure the freedom of the four women. Pol Col Khanongrit confirmed that a report had been filed regarding the victims, assuring that the police would assist them upon their return to Thailand.
