In the early hours of the 9th, Chonburi Immigration Bureau in Thailand, together with the Tourist Police and staff from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, launched an operation along the Pattaya beachfront road and arrested 16 foreign women suspected of illegal prostitution.
According to Thai Headline News Agency, those arrested include 10 Ugandan nationals, 5 Uzbek nationals, and 1 Kyrgyz national. Upon inspection, most of them possessed either 60-day tourist visas or student visas, with one individual found to have overstayed for 108 days.
Police stated that Immigration Bureau Chief Panuma had previously called for intensified crackdown on foreigners who enter Thailand to engage in illegal activities, especially illegal prostitution, as such activities not only disturb tourists but also severely damage Pattaya's image. Thus, the Immigration Bureau, in cooperation with relevant departments, carried out this sweep operation.
The 16 above-mentioned suspects were soliciting business from tourists walking along the beach. Staff from Chonburi Province's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security have initially charged them with "engaging in prostitution activities in a public place by means of persuasion, incitement, or harassment," each being fined 1,000 baht. Meanwhile, the 16 suspects have been temporarily detained at the Chonburi Immigration Bureau pending visa cancellation procedures, after which they will be deported.