Crime & Courts

Mother of Thai Girl Forced into Sex Work in Tokyo Detained in Taiwan

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Metropolitan Police Department

Jiji Press

17:40 JST, November 10, 2025

Taipei/Bangkok, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press) — The mother of a Thai girl believed to have been forced into sex work at a massage parlor in Tokyo has been detained in Taiwan, it has been learned.

According to Taiwan’s immigration authorities, the mother arrived in September and has exceeded the permitted stay. Local police detained her in a separate case and handed her over to the immigration department.

The authorities plan to deport the mother but have not decided whether to send her to Thailand or Japan, where the case of the Thai girl is being investigated.

On Friday, Thailand’s national police chief, Kitrat Phanphet, said that he had ordered an investigation into any organizations or individuals involved in the case. He also issued instructions to coordinate the girl’s return home.

Meanwhile, a Thai government source told local media that completing the investigation in Japan is likely necessary for the girl’s return.