Paedophiles and human trafficking
Suspect Arrested
Some more of Chiang Mai’s dirty laundry has been aired in public today with multiple stories in the news media of another Paedophile scandal in Chiang Mai. Top brass from Police Region 5, led by Maj Gen Prachuab Wongsak (พล.ต.ต.ประจวบ วงศ์สุข) held a press conference where they proudly paraded a 23-year-old Akha man whom had been arrested on charges of human trafficking and exploiting minors for prostitution. Ayo Ajaw (อาโยะ อาจอ) was apprehended at the hill tribe village of Ban Phaya Phrai Lao Cho (พญาไพรเล่าจอ) near the Burmese border in Terdthai district of Amphur Mae Fa Luang in Chiang Rai province on 6 January.
According to media reports, Ayo has confessed to procuring young boys to have sex with an alleged American child sex-abuser in Chiang Mai. Apparently, 61-year-old Thomas Gary had been arrested on 13 September 2557 in conjunction with the FBI, though there does not appear to have been much, if any news coverage of this event.
From Police statements, it would appear that Mr Gary had rented a room in a cheap guesthouse near Sithiwongse Road in Chiang Mai’s Si Phum district for 3 years and that Mr Ayo used to provide sexual services to him. Allegedly, Mr Ayo also procured around one hundred other young boys for Mr Gary finding them among his friends and in internet cafes and was paid 1000Bt per time.
Dirty laundry and the great unwashed
The Police went on to explain that Mr Gary, had a preference for handsome young boys, particularly street kids who didn’t shower too often. Judging by the police pictures of a man with an unkempt white beard, this is perhaps unsurprising. Moreover, amongst Gary’s things, Police discovered many pairs of underwear belonging to these boys; we cannot comment on whether these had been laundered or not.
The Police also allege that, Mr Gary had made videos of some of the kids performing sex acts and that these had been distributed in America. From the graphics used at the press conference, it appears that Police may also be looking for other foreign paedophiles who were supplied with boys by Ayo.
Paedophilia in Chiang Mai
Sadly, this case does nothing to enhance Chiang Mai’s reputation. Some years ago, Chiang Mai was renowned as somewhere where foreigners could get easy access to young boys for sexual purposes. This case shows that, although the situation may have visibly improved, and underage boys are no longer prevalent in some gay bars as they were ten plus years ago, an illicit trade still goes on. (Read More…)
A major component of the problem is the number of stateless people and illegal migrants living in poverty in the North of Thailand. Young children among this vulnerable population are ideal fodder for the traffickers, and there have even been cases where children are “sold” to traffickers by their parents. Of course, the availability of these child victims in no way excuses the actions of the abuser. Nor are the abusers only foreigners; just last year Chiang Mai was rocked by a paedophile scandal involving monks at temples having boys procured for them.
The artwork and story in the video below was produced by street children in Chiang Mai. The animation tells the harrowing story of a boy’s journey into the commercial sex trade.
A large number of gay ex-pats have chosen Chiang Mai as their home, and many are settled here living with long term Thai partners. The vast majority of these gay residents find the few paedophiles who live here or visit as sex tourists to prey on children absolutely abhorrent. Paedophilia and underage sex is totally and utterly wrong, period, no-one should be making excuses for it, including those who think if someone is only slightly underage that’s somehow OK.
The ex-pat community here should and must do everything it can to expose those within its midst who have sex with minors. The existence of these sick people within our community only adds weight to the arguments of homophobic bigots who try to denigrate the homosexual lifestyle.
Press Follow Up
It will be interesting to see what further coverage is given to this case in the press. It echoes a an eerily similar case exactly two years ago, when a suspected Paedophile with a very similar Modus Operandi was arrested in a blaze of publicity here in Chiang Mai (Read More). It seems thereafter the alleged offender was released, presumably on bail, almost immediately. There does not appear to have been any further mention of what happened in the press which seems very strange.
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