Under-Age Bar Boys as Young as 8 Found in Latest Sunee Plaza Sweep

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE:

 

see http://www.pattayaone.net/news_26_07_51.html for photos

 

Underage Bar Workers as Young as 8 Years Old Found in Sunee Plaza Police Operation

 

In the early hours of Saturday Morning, Police Colonel Nopadon, the Chief of Pattaya Police, who was joined by Khun Itipon, the Mayor of Pattaya, conducted a raid of a number of bars located in the Sunee Plaza area in South Pattaya which is well known for its gay bars and for the availability of underage boys, who, for a fee, will engage in sexual activities with foreign tourists.

 

It is for this reason that regular raids by Police take place in the area and on Saturday Morning, a total of 80 underage bar workers were found, many were performing on stages wearing only underwear. It is also well known that drug taking and dealing is prevalent in the area. During the operation, a total of 80 underage workers, 3 of the young boys were aged only 15 and one was aged only 8 years which shocked the Mayor who joined the Police to see for himself, the problem of underage bar workers in the area.

 

Urine tests were performed on a random selection of the detainees and 32 of the young men failed the test, confirming the presence of meth-amphetamine in their systems.

 

The bars involved in employing underage boys will now face legal action and the possibility their licenses will be revoked.

__________

 

And this, from PATTAYA DAILY NEWS:

 

see http://www.pattayadailynews.com/shownews.p...NEWS=0000006717 for photos.

 

Pattaya Mayor Cracks Down on Illegal Gay Bars and Teen Druggies

 

The Mayor of Pattaya, Mr.Itthipol Khun-pluem, intent on cracking down on illegal operations and under-age sex in one of Pattaya‘s most popular gay venues, Sunee Plaza, South Pattaya, on July 26, 2008, co-operated with police to mobilize in strength and thoroughly search the area. They were especially concerned to eradicate the prolific gangs of teenagers who sell sexual services, amongst whom there is a high illegal drug usage.

 

At 00.30 AM, on July 26, Pol.Col.Nopadol Wongnom, Pattaya Superintendent, organized a 70-man squad of regular and volunteer police to raid Sunee Plaza, where many foreigners go to find willing young boys. The squad checked 50 gay beer bars, pubs and go-go bars on the lookout for business licence lawbreakers, overly-explicit sex shows and staff under 20 years old. However, no premises were found to be breaking the law on any of these three counts.

 

Police volunteers, nevertheless, did manage to detain over 100 rent-boys who were soliciting in the plaza. Of these, six were under 15, 40 were using Yah Bah (amphetamines) and four were illegal Burmese immigrants. All the offenders were detained at Pattaya police station.

 

Pol.Col.Nopadol Wongnom, Pattaya Superintendent, stated that because Pattaya is a prominent international tourist city, with millions of Thai and foreign visitors annually, it has long been a favourite venue of criminals, sex tourists and paedophiles. As a result, Pattaya's new mayor, Mr. Itthipol Khun-pluem and Pattaya Police have decided it is high time that illicit activities were eradicated and a good reputation be created for the city.

 

Consequently, police have started a surveillance campaign and crack-down on non-compliant entertainment owners and sexual abusers. The authorities are particularly concerned about the large number of young boys, mainly from up-country and largely uneducated; many of whom have no legal guardians, forcing social services to send them to rehabilitation centres. However, because of the demand for their sexual service and the easy money available, the teenagers escape from the rehabilitation centres to return to Sunee Plaza to ply their trade. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many teenagers use their immoral earnings to buy drugs to share among their friends.

 

Mr. Itthipol Khun-pluem stated that he was relatively satisfied with the level of arrests and optimistic about the ongoing combined attempts to eradicate crime and give Pattaya a good name.

[Guest luvthai]

Two entirely different reports on the same raid. Who to believe? The only truth here is that everyone is out to make a name for themselves.

[Guest buaseng]

Two entirely different reports on the same raid. Who to believe? The only truth here is that everyone is out to make a name for themselves.

Don't read they are much different, the basic facts are the same.

 

The Mayor, and anyone else for that matter, is welcome to make a name for him/theirself if the under-age problem is eradicated and the pedo perverts who prey on these kids are preferably arrested and jailed for a long time or chased/hounded out of Thailand for good. Whoever does it, they have my full support.

 

But as TIT don't hold your breath that the problem will solved. This will be just another cosmetic exercise which will achieve very little in the end - there's sadly far too much money to made by the bar owners and the BIB who 'protect' them for that to happen.

[Guest LP]

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[Guest buaseng]

There is a simple solution to ungerage problem in Sunee. It is very small area. It is possible to set up police check-points to block all entrees and check ID. It does not require ant new laws and as we know successfully used in some areas in BKK.

That, of course, would not allow new Mayor to be in the news every other day but it would put an end to underage problem in Sunee.

Oh would it be that such a solution was so simple!

 

All it would do would be to shift the problem to some other area of Pattaya where such a blockade was not so practical. SP would die a slow and lingering death as the pedos moved out to the new location to find their prey. Let's face the unpleasant truth that the major attraction on which SP and its environs exist and rely is the availability of young and very often under-age boys.

[Gaybutton]

Let's face the unpleasant truth that the major attraction on which SP and its environs exist and rely is the availability of young and very often under-age boys.

 

I don't agree with that. I think that's just what repels a hell of a lot of people. Where are you getting the idea that only pedos go to Sunee Plaza? That's not true at all.

[Guest LP]

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[Guest buaseng]

I don't agree with that. I think that's just what repels a hell of a lot of people. Where are you getting the idea that only pedos go to Sunee Plaza? That's not true at all.

I didn't say that only pedos go to SP. You are doing to me what you accuse others of doing to you - attributing comments which are not there.

 

Are you actually denying that SP's major attraction and reputation is founded on the availability of younger and often under-age boys - if so you are living in a fantasy world of your own making?

 

All I am saying is that SP would be a pale shadow of itself and probably would not survive if the attraction for the pedos was removed.

Certainly a lot of the bars there that rely on that sort of trade would have no customers and have no reason to exist.

[Gaybutton]

I didn't say that only pedos go to SP. You are doing to me what you accuse others of doing to you - attributing comments which are not there.

 

Ok, I'm sorry if I misunderstood you. Of course Sunee Plaza's main attraction is young boys. Isn't that the main attraction in all the gay bar areas? Under-age boys is a different story. I believe if the bars will legitimize themselves, then they will become an attraction for everyone except the pedophiles.

 

Personally, I couldn't care less where the pedophiles go as long as they keep away from the places the rest of us wish to frequent. By now I would think most people are apprehensive that simply going to a Sunee Plaza bar means a good chance of being caught up in a raid. I don't know too many people who want to be caught up in a raid. Now, along with it, people have to make a decision as to whether they ought to carry their passport with them when visiting those areas.

 

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you carry your passport, now there's the risk of losing it, someone stealing it, getting caught in the rain with it, etc. On the other hand, if you don't carry your passport and get caught up in a raid, the police have every right to cart you off and at best force you to pay a fine.

 

In other words, this whole thing stinks! The revolving door of boys being arrested, released, arrested, released accomplishes nothing.

 

For the life of me, I can't understand why the police don't just assign two or three uniformed police officers to patrol Sunee Plaza during bar hours. It would seem to me that would be the quickest way to solve the whole problem. As far as I know, that's never even been tried. Obviously the raids aren't working. I'm adding this to my "I Don't Get It" list.

[Guest LP]

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[Guest GaySacGuy]

For the life of me, I can't understand why the police don't just assign two or three uniformed police officers to patrol Sunee Plaza during bar hours. It would seem to me that would be the quickest way to solve the whole problem. As far as I know, that's never even been tried. Obviously the raids aren't working. I'm adding this to my "I Don't Get It" list.

 

They probably won't assign any patrols to the area, because #1 They would make more money than the chief from payoffs, and #2 because it would cut into all the payoffs the officers and higher ups are now making from current payoffs. If law enforcement wasn't badly corrupt, they could solve any of the problems in SP in very short order.

 

They don't want the porblem solved...They want to use it for their own publicity, and to make more money from payoffs. Surely with this new effort to clean up SP the price of doing business will go up, while business will go down...no wonder so many places are closing!!

[fedssocr]

not sure exactly how this checkpoint would be implemented. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it that case that the bars are not the only thing there. Aren't there also residential buildings all around there where families live? Would you issue some sort of special "pass" to the people who live there?

 

[Guest joseph44]

IF the city hall is able to get rid of the (too) young boys on SP, it might be attractive for everyone who's avoiding SP at the moment because of the chance of ending up in a bar where (too) young boys are dancing, or in getting caught up in a police raid.

I'm a frequent visitor of Sunnee, but only visit the one and only bar with no boys and where the owner has to serve his customers. No chance that I'll (by accident) end up with a (too) young boy. Since 'my' regular bar is closed for 2 months (owner is up-country), I won't be there until 1st of October.

 

[Guest laurence]

As GB would say, if you have done nothing wrong then why fear visiting Sunnee Plaza?

And why are members lumping young and underage as one and the same?

I was in SP when the big chief came through with his entourage and camera crew. Just a photo op. this is not about crime it is about image and the best way to polish your image is get your photo in the paper and some good press. Sunnee Plaza is low hanging fruit and represents only a small segment of the sex industry in Pattaya but it gets the most attention.

[Guest buaseng]

As GB would say, if you have done nothing wrong then why fear visiting Sunnee Plaza?

And why are members lumping young and underage as one and the same?

Younger and under-age boys are the major but not the only problem in SP. The area is relatively more dangerous than Boyztown/PattayaLand Soi 1 at night because of the dark and narrow sois and the many drug pushers and addicts that frequent the area. At the very least you are liable be hassled by the pushers but more likely to be jostled/pickpocketed or attacked by the addicts.

 

I was personally mugged at knife point there early last year and lost my wallet, about 2800 Baht in cash and my watch. I know of at least two other farangs who have quite recently suffered similar treatment. Reporting such attacks to the police is a complete waste of time. I reported my attack to the tourist police but all I got was a bemused shrug and a look to say that I shouldn't have been walking in that area alone at night anyway!

[Guest LP]

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[Guest lester1]

Sometimes I wonder if some of the writers here have ever actually been to Sunee Plaza, or are basing their knowledge on just one trip. First, the idea of having checkpoints at the entrances to the Plaza. A nice idea that forgets the important point that several families live within the plaza and that numerous Thais also live in the rooms above the bars. Some of the Thais that have rooms like this are under 18. Another point that impinges on this is that the Plaza is private property, and that the roads are owned by Mrs. Sunee Plaza. If you dont believe that then think back to the recent time when the road outside yensabai condo gates was suddenly turned into a parking lot by Mrs. yensabai.

Another poster suggests that it is a matter of routine to be hassled by drug pushers. Perhaps this gentleman looks like a junkie, but I have never known or heard of this happening to a farang at any time over the pàst 10 years. Being attacked by crazed addicts in want of cash has little to do with gay life and everything to do with the increasing crime and low tourist numbers in the city, and less money in the Plaza.

There is also a nice argument going on here about what the attractions of the plaza are, and what proportion of business is linked to the desire of farangs to meet young Thais. The massive drop in numbers of visitors to the plaza does seem to coincide with recent purges. My view is that it is quite highly reliant on Thais under 20.

Of more interest to me would be the following.

1. Is there any truth in the rumour that this is an attempt to kill Sunee by a death of a 1000 cuts, raids, arrests, stress. If so. then who is behind it. Boys Town as some say, or just simply the City Hall/ Police.

2. Are the authorites responding to outside pressure, or is the new police chief and mayor really meaning business. In the past, a few raids and then everything gets back to normal with back handers given and status quo returning. There is no doubt that bar owners and elements of Pattaya police would like that, not only the customers.

3. Has attention switched to drugs. Yes, if you wanted to impact on drug users and pushers, then attack the area where they congregate eg the Plaza. But remember this is rather like police raiding a Theatre just to arrest a few ticket touts.

 

[Guest buckeroo2]

As GB would say, if you have done nothing wrong then why fear visiting Sunnee Plaza?

 

Maybe I don't want to have to show ID and pee in a cup because I stopped somewhere to have a brew. If that is the price of going out, I am staying home. I know they have not harassed farangs in Sunee in the past. But if they are doing this at Dude, it won't be long before farangs are subjected to the same stops and seizures as Thais in Sunee. I do not do drugs and do not fear the results of such test, but I choose not to subject myself to such intrusive searches.

[Gaybutton]

I choose not to subject myself to such intrusive searches.

 

There is another aspect to this. I believe Lvdkeyes can answer this one better than most people if he reads this message. Are there any common prescription drugs that can yield results that would cause someone to fail a pee test?

 

If the answer is yes, then I suppose you have to start carrying the prescription with you in case of getting caught up in a raid in which the police can subject you to a pee test.

[Guest laurence]

Maybe I don't want to have to show ID and pee in a cup because I stopped somewhere to have a brew. If that is the price of going out, I am staying home. I know they have not harassed farangs in Sunee in the past. But if they are doing this at Dude, it won't be long before farangs are subjected to the same stops and seizures as Thais in Sunee. I do not do drugs and do not fear the results of such test, but I choose not to subject myself to such intrusive searches.

 

I was being somewhat facetious. Point is, everyone is being tarred with the same brush who dares to visit Sunnee. It is great press and great ammo for those who post on the forums about the dangers and the pervs who go there. Once it is was underage, and now it is "young" even though legal. What next? You can't even go there to get a drink and chat with friends without being condemned as "one" of them. And you are quite right buckeroo2 I don't doubt in the least that farang may well be subject to drug testing. At the very least all farang should have good copies of their passports/visas with them as that will be the next form of harassment.

[Guest LP]

[Guest yedo]

Younger and under-age boys are the major but not the only problem in SP. The area is relatively more dangerous than Boyztown/PattayaLand Soi 1 at night because of the dark and narrow sois and the many drug pushers and addicts that frequent the area. At the very least you are liable be hassled by the pushers but more likely to be jostled/pickpocketed or attacked by the addicts.

 

I just dont understand you. I have been visiting nearly all the bars and clubs in SP the last 4 weeks and every boy working inside the bars (except one) have been over 18 and most of them over 20 and some even over 30 y.o. So please dont call that under-age. You will probably find freelancers in the streets that are younger but if you're not looking for them they wont bother you.

 

I have witnessed a few of the police raids and its mostly yaba boys running away from the police. Its nice to see they are cleaning up the area.

 

[Guest LP]

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[Guest Geezer]

Yedo, LP is correct.

 

I tend to like younger boys, yet am justifiably terrified of the possible consequences of offing anyone under 18. Consequently I have scrutinized the IDs of a great many boys, and find there are few go-go bars (two maybe?) which do not have underage lads.

 

According to news media, the police have similar results. I cannot account for your not seeing underage boys.

[Guest Geezer]

I have just returned from Sunee. I visited a go-go bar where I saw many Nice Boys. One lissome lad caught my eye, and I asked the manager his age. “Eighteen”, he replied. I asked to see his ID card, and the manager said sure, He would get it.

 

After about fifteen minutes (never a good sign) I was given a card. The photo on the card bore a striking resemblance to the boy in question -- two eyes, a nose, a mouth...

Unfortunately there was no further similarity.

 

I told the waiter that no, the photo looked more like me. They all had a good laugh, I paid my bill, and left -- just as another falang was offing the boy.