Police Detain In Total 37 Transgender Persons on Bangla Road for Suspected Prostitution

By
Goongnang Suksawat
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Patong –

In total, 37 mostly transgender persons were detained and had their personal details recorded after the Patong Police held a crackdown on people suspected of engaging in prostitution-related activities.

The Phuket Tourist Police told the Phuket Express that on Thursday (March 20th) they organized a campaign to crack down on individuals causing public disturbances and tarnishing the image of tourism. The operation focused on inspecting and arresting individuals, mostly transgender persons, in the Bangla Road who were found engaging in acts that could be considered offenses against prostitution laws.

A total of 37 individuals were apprehended and handed over to the investigating officers at Patong Police Station. Their personal details have been recorded in the Patong Police system but as they were not actually caught doing anything illegal, they were released soon after.

This is part of a national crackdown to prevent any negative action related to maintaining public order and potential violations of Thailand’s prostitution and immigration laws.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Pride, a coalition of human rights organizations and activists advocating for gender diversity and equality in Thailand, has strongly condemned the arrests. Authorities justified the operation as a necessary measure to address “public nuisance” and protect Phuket’s tourism image, a rationale Bangkok Pride criticized as outdated and reflective of sexual bias.

The incident that reportedly sparked the crackdown involved a viral video from March 19, showing a confrontation between a transgender woman and a foreign tourist, escalating from a dispute over the tourist filming her into a physical altercation. Bangkok Pride argued that such actions undermine the dignity and equality of transgender individuals, emphasizing that they should not be scapegoated for broader societal or tourism-related concerns.

Bangkok Pride concluded by expressing solidarity with the transgender women and the wider LGBTIQN+ community in Phuket, pledging to continue advocating against such perceived injustices.

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Five foreign women and two Thais were detained and had their personal details recorded after the Patong Police held a crackdown on people suspected of engaging in prostitution-related activities.

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Goongnang Suksawat
Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for more than eight years and has worked with The Pattaya News for more than five years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.