BANGKOK — Police have arrested an 18-year-old modeling agent in connection with the death of Airada Potaram, 22, who died while providing escort services to a Chinese client named Wu Douying.
Before her death, Airada had sent messages to her modeling agent asking if she could decline using drugs, but was told she should take “a little” as the client requested.
On February 17, authorities arrested and questioned the modeling agent who communicated with Airada before her death. The suspect, identified as Panita “Alin,” allegedly acted as an intermediary arranging services between Chinese clients and escorts. She has been charged with facilitating prostitution, with potential additional human trafficking charges pending investigation.
During brief comments to reporters while being escorted from the interrogation room, Alin stated that this was Airada’s first escort job. When asked about the victim’s drug use history, Alin claimed she “didn’t know.”
Investigation sources revealed that Alin confessed to arranging escort services, including for Airada. She reportedly operated a large modeling agency network with over 1,000 women. Alin would receive payment directly from clients before paying the women, and was trusted within the industry for guaranteeing payment even if clients failed to pay.
Airada’s mother and sister maintain she had never used drugs, according to her close friends’ testimonies. The family has raised concerns about initial police handling of the case, claiming officers suggested accepting compensation instead of filing charges and implied the case would be difficult to prosecute due to voluntary drug use.
Police Colonel Jarin Jintapala of Chokchai Police Station denied any misconduct in the investigation, stating that immigration authorities were notified immediately to prevent the Chinese suspect from fleeing the country. Authorities are currently investigating Wu Douying’s multiple entries into Thailand under the alias “Jessada.”
Dr. Weerasak Charasicharoen, a forensic medicine expert at Srinakharinwirot University, noted that “happy water” and ketamine found at the scene are extremely dangerous substances. He explained that “happy water,” popular among Chinese drug users, contains eight different substances including four depressants and four stimulants, with date rape drugs among them. The combination with alcohol can be particularly lethal, potentially leading to circulatory failure as indicated in preliminary autopsy findings.
The investigation continues as authorities await blood test results to determine the presence of drugs in the victim’s system. Given the family’s insistence that Airada had no history of drug use, investigators are considering the possibility that she may have been forced to consume the substances, leading to a fatal reaction.
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Police Hunt for Chinese Tourist After Woman Found Dead in Bangkok Hotel
