PATTAYA, THAILAND – Two beer bars in central Pattaya were raided by specialist police units on the evening of 26 February on suspicion of sexual exploitation of minors, with officers finding two under-18s in one venue.
Police operation triggered by public tip-offs
The raid began at around 8:06 p.m. after the Human Trafficking Suppression Division received information that minors were being exploited for sexual purposes in bars in central Pattaya. The intelligence indicated that underage individuals were allegedly being used in sexually exploitative roles.
Alongside the specialist anti-human-trafficking unit, officers from Pattaya City Police Station and administrative officials from Banglamung District took part in the operation. The coordinated action targeted multiple locations in the city’s entertainment area.
Command structure and scope of the raid
The operation was led by Pol. Lt. Col. Kiatkongsak Thongkham, deputy commander of Subdivision 2 of the Human Trafficking Suppression Division. He was joined by Pol. Col. Anek Sathongyu, chief of Pattaya City Police Station, Pol. Lt. Col. Siriwat Khatchamat, deputy head of crime suppression, and Phichan Non Thawisuk, chief officer of Banglamung District.
The team acted on the basis of search and arrest warrants issued for specific suspects and locations. Their targets were bars for which there were indications that minors were being employed in roles involving sexual exploitation.
First inspection in Soi Chaiyaphoon
The first venue inspected was a beer bar operation in Soi Chaiyaphoon in South Pattaya. Officers reported that they did not find any under-18s working there at the time of the check.
However, they secured evidence related to the existing arrest warrants and took named individuals into temporary custody for questioning. The documentation gathered is to be used in the ongoing investigation.
Minors discovered working at JJ Bar
The second target address was JJ Bar in central Pattaya, where an undercover purchase was also integrated into the operation. During the inspection, officers identified two people who turned out to be under 18 years old and working at the venue.
The person acting as manager or interim operator, along with other individuals named in the arrest warrants, was detained at the scene. The police seized additional evidence to support the continuing legal proceedings.
Arrests and possible legal consequences
Authorities classified the case as a serious form of promoting the sexual exploitation of minors. Under relevant child protection and anti-human-trafficking legislation, operators who knowingly employ minors in such roles face multi-year prison sentences and substantial fines.
Officials did not publicly comment on specific charges or the identities of those arrested by the time of publication, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Further details are expected to emerge as prosecutors review the evidence.
Protection of minors and ongoing investigations
Investigators handed the two minors over to the Office of Social Development and Human Security of Chonburi Province, which is to initiate interdisciplinary protection measures. The case was already the second similar raid in the Pattaya area within a few weeks, following a previous search of a venue in Naklua.
The police appealed to the public to report any information on the use of minors in entertainment venues via the 1567 hotline of the Interior Ministry’s Damrongtham centres.
“The police called on the public to report information on the use of minors in entertainment businesses via the 1567 hotline of the Damrongtham centres of the Interior Ministry.”
said The Pattaya News, citing official statements.