Surin Province, Thailand — Thai police arrested a 20-year-old Lao national named Chaipol on July 6 at a resort in Muang District. He is accused of producing and distributing child sexual abuse material through paid online groups.
The arrest followed a months-long investigation by Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) into two suspicious X (formerly Twitter) accounts, “ภานุวัฒน์73k” and “บานานา73k,” which promoted explicit videos featuring boys under 18.
Authorities revealed that Chaipol directed followers to private Line chat groups, charging THB 139 (about USD 4.27) for regular access and THB 259 (around USD 8) for premium membership. Undercover officers infiltrated these groups, uncovering more than 500 paying members and numerous videos of minors in sexually explicit situations.
During the raid at the resort, police seized Chaipol’s mobile phone, which contained dozens of illicit videos, sex toys, bank records, and clothing used during filming. Some videos were reportedly shot in public places.
Chaipol admitted to filming and distributing the content himself for nearly a year, reportedly earning over THB 100,000 (USD 3,073). He also confessed to illegally entering Thailand and contracting a serious illness through unprotected sex during production.
He now faces multiple charges, including possession and distribution of child pornography for commercial gain, uploading obscene materials to public computer systems, and illegal entry into Thailand. Chaipol has been handed over to the ATPD for further legal action.
Thailand’s Criminal Code enforces strict penalties against child pornography under Sections 287/1 and 287/2. Possession can lead to up to 5 years in prison, distribution up to 7 years, and production or trafficking up to 10 years, with harsher sentences for organized or cross-border offenses.
