Owner of “Cat Grooming Shop” Arrested for Using Business as Front for Child Sex Trafficking
2 May 2026
*This article was translated using online tools. Mistakes may be present.
Police have arrested three suspects tied to a human trafficking network that used a cat grooming shop as a front to lure minors under 18 into prostitution. Victims were reportedly abused and forced to service clients even during their menstruation cycles, while the operation generated over 20 million Baht (approx. $600,000 USD) in financial circulation.
On May 2, Pol. Maj. Gen. Witthaya Sriprasertphap, Commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD), ordered a task force led by Pol. Col. Alongkot Kotchakaew to arrest Ms. Waykhayaphat, her husband Mr. Thawatchai, 32, and Ms. Yuwadee, 38. The arrests were made in Pathum Thani Province under warrants issued by the Criminal Court for “conspiring to commit human trafficking.”
The operation began after ATPD police, alongside the International Protection Alliance (IPA) and OUR Rescue Thailand, rescued a 16-year-old victim, identified as Ms. Kwang (pseudonym). The investigation revealed that around June 2024, she was brought in to provide sexual services at a “Cat Grooming Service” shop owned by Ms. Waykhayaphat and Mr. Thawatchai. Ms. Yuwadee, a close associate, acted as the manager and online administrator, managing client bookings, recruiting girls, and handling earnings. The shop exploited a total of 22 girls, 7 to 8 of whom were under the age of 18.
Investigators found that the girls were forced to service around seven clients a day and had to work 30 consecutive days before receiving any pay. If an employee failed to please a client, she was verbally abused and sometimes physically assaulted by Mr. Thawatchai. Furthermore, if a girl was on her period but chosen by a client, she was forced to insert a cosmetic sponge (locally known as “look jiab”) into her genitalia to proceed with the service.
It was also revealed that the shop had been operating as a front business for seven years. Despite low physical foot traffic, audits uncovered approximately 10 linked bank accounts with a total cash flow exceeding 20 million Baht (approx. $600,000 USD). The operators had recently moved the business out of the storefront and into a private residence.
After gathering sufficient evidence, authorities secured arrest warrants and raided the target locations. They apprehended the suspects and seized evidence including mobile phones, electronic devices, boxes containing over 500 condoms, and a jar filled with cosmetic sponges.
During interrogation, Ms. Waykhayaphat and her husband confessed to being the owners, stating they accepted both online bookings and walk-ins, with the majority of their income coming from the shop. They claimed the seized condoms were ordered for sale within the establishment.
Ms. Yuwadee confessed that she had worked at the shop for five years, starting as a masseuse for three years before earning the owners’ trust and being promoted to manager and administrator with a monthly salary of 35,000 Baht (approx. $1,050 USD). She noted that the shop’s daily net revenue ranged between 7,000 Baht (approx. $210 USD) and 20,000 Baht (approx. $600 USD).
All three suspects were taken into custody and handed over to ATPD Sub-Division 5 investigators for legal proceedings.
Following a screening process of the remaining employees living at the residence, authorities discovered and rescued an additional human trafficking victim. The victim, a relative of Ms. Waykhayaphat, had been forced to work at the shop since the age of 17. Authorities are currently expanding the investigation to track down the clients and any remaining accomplices.
Main Source:
https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/5831356/
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