In order to counteract the alarming rise in kids beggaring and selling candies on the streets, Pattaya police have launched extensive cleanup operations to tackle child abuse and trafficking.
On June 10, police in the Banglamung area conducted a rental room inspection in Village 73 of the Nongprue Sub-district and discovered a lady with three children—two girls, aged 8 and 7, and a boy, aged 1—under her care. The woman, who identified herself as Chan Di, 33, a citizen of Cambodia, said that she had entered the nation via a natural border route after paying 3,300 baht to enter the Pattaya region.
She claimed that as she pleaded for money, she sent her kids out to sell candy to foreign visitors in the area. She claimed that they made between 800-1000 baht each day, which she used to buy milk, children’s medications, and other necessities while also sending some money to support her family in Cambodia.
The father of the three children and her husband Pai San, who is 31 years old, was also detained by the police as he went out with friends in the heart of Pattaya.
Chan Di and Pai San are accused of forcing, threatening, luring, or permitting kids to engage in illegal acts including begging or loitering on the streets. They are also accused of breaking the Immigration Act, entering the country unlawfully, and illegally soliciting money or property from others.
