Until recently the most sinister part of that tradition, the procurement of underage girls, was well-known but rarely discussed. “This tradition became common a long time ago,” explained Boonyarit Nipavanit, a district official in Mae Hong Son, a poor and rugged province in the mountainous north. Five administrators from central Nonthaburi province have also been charged for allegedly hiring the teens with government funds during an official visit to Mae Hong Son. But the so-called tradition is far from unique to Mae Hong Son. That was the case in Mae Hong Son, where police initially tried to bury the accusations made by the whistleblowing mother, who has requested anonymity and is now under government protection in Bangkok.

Source: Hindustan Times June 25, 2017 06:11 UTC