Sai mai: A young woman from Sai Mai has reached out for help, asserting that she was coerced into prostitution by a loan shark to repay her debts. The woman, known as Ms. A, claims that she was not only harassed but also forced into sexual servitude, with the loan shark filming her in a nude video as a means of blackmail.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. A, who is 25 years old, turned to Mr. Ekkapop Lueangprasert, the founder of the "Sai Mai Must Survive" Facebook page, after enduring harassment and sexual assault from the loan shark. Her ordeal began in October 2015 when she was employed as a PR representative at a bar and befriended the loan shark. She borrowed 5,000 baht in November, agreeing to a daily interest of 200 baht.
Subsequently, she took another loan of 5,000 baht to support her mother in another province. Under duress, Ms. A agreed to provide nude photos and videos as collateral. This led to an increased interest rate of 400 baht per day, which quickly became unmanageable. Despite the principal being only 10,000 baht, she has already paid over 70,000 baht in interest from November 2025 to March 2026 and was forced to offer herself as collateral.
She expressed her distress, stating that when she couldn't meet payments, she was threatened with the release of the nude video and coerced further with the threat of having her debt sold and being forced to work for another creditor. The fear of harassment has made her anxious and afraid to attend school.
Mr. Ekkapop highlighted the gravity of the situation, pointing to multiple offenses committed by the loan shark, including charging exorbitant interest rates, coercion, and sexual assault via video blackmail. He emphasized the violation of women's rights and dignity involved in the case, noting the perpetrator's alleged connections with the police. Efforts are underway in collaboration with local authorities to locate and prosecute the loan shark.