UPDATE
The foreign owner of the Patong bar at the centre of a recent sex trafficking scandal fled Thailand to Laos, according to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn.
Big Joke arrived in Phuket yesterday to follow up on the case. He said the bar is related to a network of bars in Bangkok and Pattaya, The Phuket Express reported.
Big Joke said the bar might have been operated as a nominee in which Thai people registered for them with some foreign shareholders.
The main owner of the bar, a foreigner, is reportedly married to a Thai national. Big Joke said that he has now fled to Laos.
Police are continuing to investigate, and are following up on customers who used the bar’s services, specifically those who interacted with minors. Police are also inspecting bars across Phuket, Pattaya, and Bangkok to ensure…
