This may be the wrong forum for a news item, but it does show up some of the reasons that it can be so difficult to obtain a UK visa.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_new ... ?id=127447
By Wassayos Ngamkham
Police yesterday arrested a man and a woman suspected of being part of a gang involved in the trafficking of Thai women to brothels in England.
Pol Maj-Gen Wimol Pao-in, head of the Children, Juveniles and Women Division, said police, with assistance from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, arrested Worapoj Pitayanukul, 60, and Pilaiporn Sathienthanakorn, 54, on charges of luring Thai women into prostitution in England.
Mr Worapoj was arrested at his house in Nonthaburi’s Bang Kruai district and Mrs Pilaiporn was taken into custody at her house in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district yesterday.
The arrests came after Pongpoj Pitayanukul, 31, and nine other people were caught in England on April 21 on charges of trafficking and procuring women for prostitution. Mr Pongpoj is Mr Worapoj’s son. Pol Maj-Gen Wimol said the gang had promised to secure decent jobs in England for the women.
The victims were told to change their surnames to Pilaiporn.
The gang then took them on a tour of Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries so they could get visa stamps from different countries in their passports to create a good impression and a reliable record of their travel before entering England.
Before leaving for England, the women were made to sign a loan agreement which landed them in a debt of about 700,000 baht each, Pol Maj-Gen Wimol said.
After arriving in England, the women were sold to a Malaysian agent who then took them to brothels in Plymouth, where they were forced to work as prostitutes.
British police uncovered the gang after one of the victims escaped and asked for their help, Pol Maj-Gen Wimol said.
The other members of the procurement gang are still at large.
They include Jirapa Srivicha, Pacharee Wongyai, a woman identified only as Joo, a man named Jack, and two men sharing the name of Mark from Britain and Malaysia.
Both Mr Worapoj and Mrs Pilaiporn denied the charges brought against them.
Mr Worapoj said he had sent his two sons, including Mr Pongpoj, to study in Britain. Later, his business ran into problems and his sons complained about not receiving money from him.
Mr Worapoj said he only knew that his sons worked for an advertising website and had no idea that they may be involved in the flesh trade.
He said he had visited them on several occasions but was not aware they may be connected to a human trafficking gang.
Mrs Pilaiporn said she had nothing to do with the alleged procurement and insisted she did not know Mr Worapoj.