BANGKOK — Police and health officials raided an unlicensed six-story beauty salon and botox clinic in Bangkok’s RCA area, Huai Kwang District on Wednesday, uncovering an illegal operation run by a Chinese national who was practicing medicine without proper credentials.
The raid revealed that each floor of the building offered different beauty services, with the fifth floor dedicated to unauthorized botox injections. Investigators found evidence of multiple procedures having been performed using potentially unsafe medical equipment.
The salon owner, 42-year-old Ms. Ren Xue Mei of YF Salon, initially attempted to mislead authorities by claiming she was a customer. However, after other employees identified her as the owner, she admitted to operating without proper permits. She confessed that the medical gowns were purchased from Taobao, and the people administering injections were not qualified medical professionals.
“I chose to open in Thailand because there’s too much competition in China. The profit margins are better here,” Ren stated before being charged with illegally operating a health establishment as a foreigner without proper authorization.
Six other employees were also arrested in the raid. Among them were two Chinese nationals: Ms. Wen Chun, 28, who worked as a cashier, and Ms. Gao Juan, 44, a foot massage therapist. Both were charged with working without proper permits. Additionally, four Shan ethnic workers from Myanmar, aged 18-20, who worked as hair washers, were arrested for illegal entry and working without permits.
The investigation was initiated following a tip-off received by Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang about an unauthorized Chinese-operated clinic targeting foreign tourists with services including surgery, massage, spa treatments, facial injections, and vitamin shots.
Authorities seized 14 pieces of evidence, including promotional materials, CCTV memory cards, massage booking records, receipts, rental agreements, medical gowns, saline solutions, anesthetic drugs, and numerous used injection needles and medical waste.
Police Major General Theeradej Thammasuthee, Commander of the Investigation Division, warned the public about the rising occurrence of unauthorized beauty clinics operated by unqualified practitioners using substandard equipment and medications. He urged citizens to choose only licensed facilities with proper Ministry of Public Health certification, qualified medical professionals approved by the Medical Council, and FDA-approved medications.
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