Former footballer caught offering sex services in Thailand

A former Ugandan footballer was arrested for allegedly offering sex work in Thailand.

The suspect, identified by cops by his username 'Big Martin', 29, reportedly posted photos of his chiselled body on gay dating apps to advertise sex services to foreign men.

He was said to have charged clients 2,500 for oral sex and 4,000 baht for full sex before travelling to their luxury hotels in central Bangkok.

Immigration officers raided the former athlete's rented condominium in the Thai capital in a crackdown on tourist prostitutes.

Undercover agents arranged a meeting with 'Big Martin' before storming his room, where his numerous football trophies were displayed.

They found a large number of condoms and seized his phone, which contained explicit pictures as well as conversations with his gay customers on the Grindr app.

Police also discovered during the raid on August 7 that Martin was overstaying his visa.

During questioning, the Ugandan allegedly admitted that he was a former footballer, but turned to prostitution after his visa expired.

He was handed over to the inquiry officer for further legal action.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Suriyo Chaiyod of Immigration Division 1 said Martin had arrived in Thailand on a student visa after being dropped by his team.

He said: ‘He came to Thailand on a student visa and played football in different competitions, but not for any of the big teams here.

‘He was good enough to win championships. There was a big trophy and other trophies in his room.

‘He really has the kind of muscular physique you would expect from a football player.

‘He had studied at a private university here in Bangkok and had been in Thailand on a student visa for about two or three years.

‘Once his visa expired, he stopped playing. It was three years ago, and for some reason, he didn't renew it.

‘After that, he probably started offering male-to-male sexual services through a dating app.

‘He didn't really tell us how long he had been doing it. But we saw the conversations and messages on the app, and there were nude photographs being exchanged.

‘The photographs were so explicit that I was a bit stunned.'

The officer said most of the men Martin met were foreign nationals and that he typically travelled to their luxury condominiums in Bangkok using ride-hailing services.

A source alerted them to his profile on the app, allowing them to identify him and establish his location.

The investigator added: 'There were initial suspicions that he might also be selling drugs, but it appeared that he was a drug user and not a dealer.

'There were some sachets in the room, but there were no drugs inside them. We searched the entire room thoroughly several times, but we didn't find any drugs.'

Police said they regularly arrest female sex workers, including African women, with about 10 suspects detained each month.

The suspects are deported and blacklisted from re-entering Thailand, but new illegal sex workers are always arriving, they said.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Suriyo added: ‘If we arrest 10 foreign sex workers, there might be 100 out there, and they keep rotating in.

‘The Ugandan man arrested is an overstayer. However, in previous cases involving African sex workers, they held tourist visas or other valid visas, which we then revoked.'

Police in Bangkok have been cracking down on African men and women suspected of working in the sex industry and supplying drugs to tourists.