Extortion is also a big business and an entrenched part of the trade in sleaze that is flourishing in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok late at night.
The main targets of the gangs are the many foreign prostitutes who ply their trade on the street and in the hotels around the lower end of Sukhumvit Road.
- Lower Sukhumvit Road: Sleazy street of shame
One particular gang specialising in extorting money from the foreign prostitutes is based in the discotheque of a medium-sized hotel in Soi 3.
The disco is frequented mainly by Iranian and Arab men and about 50 foreign prostitutes, mostly from Russia and Uzbekistan, who go there every night looking for customers.
This was revealed to Spectrum during a recent interview with a woman known only as Vazira, a freelance prostitute from Uzbekistan, and collaborated by her Russian friends. Several Thai prostitutes working in the area also confirmed the existence of the gang as well as other gangs.
They said most of the gang members come from Iran, Pakistan and Africa and are involved in a variety of crimes.
According to Ms Vazira, one of these gangs extorting money from the foreign prostitutes is led by a Syrian man who calls himself Basm. His accomplice and countryman Mahmood also works in the disco. The other members of his gang are from Iran and Pakistan. They target the foreign prostitutes working at the disco.
Ms Vazira said that prostitutes who have Thai pimps, who give them protection and assistance if they are arrested, are not targetted by the extortionists.
"The gang will do some background checking of a potential target before making an approach. They are very careful not to get into trouble with Thai people," Ms Vazira said before going on to describe what happened to her and many of the other girls who work at the disco and are forced to pay protection money to Basm.
"I had been going to that particular discotheque almost every night for several years and never had any problems until a few days ago when I was walking back to my apartment in Soi 5 at around 4am - after having one customer and returning to the club.
"Basm followed me, grabbed my arm outside the hotel and said: 'Hey, look at me. Sometimes when I see you in the club, I want to put you in jail,' he said in bad English. I answered: 'Why? Anyone can come to the disco. What is the problem? I don't understand you.'
"He replied: 'I want some money from you. If you refuse then you cannot work there anymore.'
"I said I don't have money to pay you. I am sending almost everything I make to my parents and children back home every morning, and he said: 'I don't care what you say, I want money.' Then I left, frightened of what will happen," Ms Vazira said.
"I told my friends about this incident and they said they also heard about Basm from other girls. They told me to pay, otherwise I wouldn't be able to work and he could cause me some trouble as well.
"The first time he didn't say how much money he wanted me to pay, but two days later he approached me again, this time at the entrance to the disco. He told me to pay him 20,000 baht every month, otherwise I couldn't enter. I would then lose my main income because I can make money there from the Iranians because I speak their language. They usually pay well and don't cause trouble. There is no other place like it in the area.
"I am sure that before Basm approached me he knew I had no pimp and I was making good money, otherwise he wouldn't ask for so much. That's why he picked on me. Maybe someone else was watching me all the time."
Ms Vazira said Basm is about 23, slim and dark. She had seen him in the disco for a couple of months, but didn't talk to him.
"Sometimes when he passed by, he only said to me 'how are you', as he did with the other girls.
"He is very friendly with Mr Kew, who is the Thai owner. I saw them often talking to each other.
"My friend told me that Kew pays Basm a salary and rent for his apartment in Soi 1, which he shares with Mahmood. Basm usually walks back home.
"When I saw Basm the first time, I knew he is not a good person. Why did I know? I was a nurse and used to work at the police hospital in Tashkent in Uzbekistan. We treated many drug addicts there, so I know everything about them, like what the symptoms are, what they look like and how they behave.
"Basm has all the symptoms. He also drinks whiskey and tequila. My friends told me Basm is indeed a drug addict and they are all afraid of him. He is a dangerous man.
"I saw Kew sitting and drinking with four to five Thai men in his club. The Thais were not looking for girls, only drinking, and then they left. I have been coming and going here for four years, so I know they must be policemen or Thai officials. Some wore safari jackets and black boots. I see Basm talking to them some time, but not for too long.
"I am afraid of him, especially when I walk back home. Maybe someone will hit me. I would like to call the police to check his room. Maybe he has some drugs there. I told my friends about this and asked them if they know some policemen who could search his apartment for drugs."
Ms Vazira did not say if she had paid Basm or intended to pay him, but her friends have now raised fears for her safety. Her mobile has now been switched off for days and searching for her proved fruitless.
Her friends haven't seen her for many days since she spoke to Spectrum. They are worried about her.
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