Governor: Enough evidence to sue Ying Kai

Monta Yokrattanakan (centre) arrives at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok on Friday to insist on her innocence. Officials in Mae Hong Son province have said they have enough information to prosecute her. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

Officials in Mae Hong Son province have said they have enough information from local female victims to prosecute Monta "Ying Kai" Yokrattanakan, who earlier filed legal complaints against the victims and other female employees of hers for refusing to work abroad as she had instructed.

Mae Hong Son governor Phiphat Ekphaphan told media on Tuesday night six natives of Mae La Noi district had given useful information for local authorities to take legal action against Ying Kai.

He did not elaborate for fear of affecting the case.

However, the governor said Ying Kai, who alleged she was a khunying, had hired the six women when they were under 18.

The law requires employment of workers under 18 to be approved and supervised by their parents and government agencies, including the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare.

Boonyarit Nipawanich, assistant chief of Mae Hong Son's Mae Sariang district, already asked the Department of Special Investigation to take over the case.

Srisuwan Sorasak, chief of the government complaint centre in Mae Hong Son, said crime suppression police would question the young women and their parents in the northern province.

He also shared the governor's view that the information was enough to prosecute Ying Kai and his team was looking for other hill tribe girls who might have been lured into working for Ying Kai.

Some young hill tribe women might be afraid of Ying Kai and were trying to stay away from the case, Mr Srisuwan said.

Ying Kai, 56, allegedly lured young women into working as her maids by promising to give salaries and pay for their education. Earlier reports said she filed complaints about embezzlement, fraud, property damage and theft against the women who had rejected her order to go to work in Hong Kong.

It was not clear what kind of work she had wanted the women to do.

Bangkok police said Ying Kai filed nine complaints against 12 individuals in Bangkok during 2010-15.

Mrs Monta visited Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok province on Wednesday. She swore she had nothing to do with human trafficking and would take legal action against the people accusing her.

She admitted she had brought girls to her place from Mae Hong Son, but said they were not her maids, she had just provided them with an education.

However, as society already prejudged her, the court remained her last resort, Mrs Monta said. If she had framed others, she was ready to meet her fate, and vice versa. She repeated her intention to swear to her innocence in front of the revered Phra Buddha Chinnarat statue at the temple.

Mrs Monta said her complaints about theft were not a big deal, and those who believe in their innocence could talk to her and they could reach a compromise.

Asked about her informal name, Ying Kai or Khunying Kai, she said she had not been royally bestowed the title Khunying (Lady), but some local residents in Phitsanulok called her Khunying Kai because she had given scholarships to local students and donated to local temples.

Mrs Monta gave an assurance she would report to police next Monday as summoned, to answer charges of making false complaints and framing others.