A hospital director and two other men have been arrested for purchasing sex services from girls under 18 in Muang district of Loei province.
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) officers apprehended Phasakorn Surachaipanya, 54, director of a tambon-based public hospital in Loei; Pichai Sertsri, 34, a municipal worker; and 34-year-old air conditioning repairman Santi Srikammee on Thursday in tambon Kudpong of Muang district.
The suspects were wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on charges of buying sex from girls under 18 and enticing them into lewd activities, said Pol Maj Gen Sarut Khwaengsopha, commander of the ATPD.
The arrests were made following the arrest of a married couple early this year for procuring underage girls into prostitution in this northeastern province. The couple, identified only as Sakchai and his wife Manthana, charged customers between 2,000 and 10,000 baht per sex service and gave the girls 1,000 baht each.
During questioning, the three men admitted to purchasing sex from girls under the couple's control. The suspects were held in ATPD sub-division 3 for legal action.
