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A Thai court has sentenced a woman to seven years and six months in prison after finding her guilty of trafficking her 12-year-old daughter to Japan and forcing her into sex work at a massage parlour in Tokyo.
The woman, identified only as Laksana, pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking and aiding prostitution following a brief trial that drew attention from both Thai and Japanese media for the severity of the case.
According to court documents, the woman took her daughter, then 12 years old, to Japan on the pretext of sightseeing. She was later abandoned there.
Prosecutors said the woman had arranged for the girl to work at a massage parlour in Tokyo, allegedly coordinating with contacts already operating in the area.
Thai and Japanese authorities said the girl provided sexual services to approximately 60 customers over the course of a month, between June and July 2025. Investigators have not disclosed further details about the men involved or whether additional arrests are expected.
The case came to light in September 2025 after the girl contacted the Japanese Immigration Services Agency seeking help. She was subsequently taken into protective custody, and Japanese authorities coordinated with their Thai counterparts to investigate the matter further.
The mother was detained during a trip to Taiwan in September and was sent back to Thailand in December where she was charged by local prosecutors.
Speaking to Kyodo News, the woman said she had brought her daughter to Japan because she wanted the girl to help care for her youngest child, an infant boy, while she worked at the massage parlour.
She offered no further explanation regarding the circumstances that led to her daughter’s exploitation.
The woman has not yet decided whether she will appeal the sentence. The case remains under review by both Thai and Japanese authorities.
