Two Ugandan women arrested on the Thai resort island of Koh Phangan last weekend told police they were each earning up to 500,000 baht per month, approximately Shs59 million, from offering sex services to foreign tourists.
Janet Nakalema, 32, and Mariam Namatovu, 29, were apprehended on Sunday night at an unnumbered house in Village 2, Tambon Koh Phangan, where a foreign customer was also present.
They were taken to Koh Phangan Police Station and charged with assembling in a place of prostitution and publicly soliciting prostitution.
The arrests followed a complaint filed by an Israeli tourist who alleged he had been robbed. In response, Thai tourist police launched an undercover operation, with an officer posing as a customer and contacting the women via WhatsApp. The officer reportedly agreed to pay 5,000 baht for two encounters. After receiving a pre-arranged signal, police entered the house and allegedly found the women providing services to a foreign male tourist.
During questioning, the suspects admitted they had travelled to Koh Phangan as tourists but had used the island as a base for illegal sex work for more than two months. They reportedly served three to four foreign clients per day, totalling more than 180 clients over that period.
The women claimed they earned up to 500,000 baht per month, with most of the money sent back to their families in Uganda.
Their reported earnings far exceed the income of most Ugandans in formal employment. A Ugandan Member of Parliament earns a gross monthly salary of approximately Shs11 million. Even with allowances included, the average gross monthly income of an MP ranges between Shs25 million and Shs35 million, still below the Shs59 million the women claimed to have earned each month in Thailand.
The undercover operation was led by Tourist Police Sub-division 5, working jointly with local administrative officials and other relevant agencies. Officers collected evidence from the room before taking the pair to a Tourist Police service point for further questioning.
Police said the suspects were accused of gathering to engage in prostitution for their own or others’ benefit and of advertising or soliciting prostitution.
Meanwhile, Phuket Immigration separately arrested five other Ugandan women for allegedly offering sex services in Patong’s entertainment district following public reports about their activities in the Soi Bangla area.
According to local outlet MGR Online, investigations into the matter are ongoing.
