'Girls as dessert': Thai sex scandal exposes grim tradition

The scandal erupted after the mother of one teen victim fled to Bangkok and told the media that girls were being blackmailed into sex work.

Bangkok (AFP) - When senior bureaucrats visited the remote Thai province where local official Boonyarit worked, the routine was often the same: welcome them with the finest food and drink and then bring out the teen girls, often referred to as "dessert".

The tradition -- known by the euphemistic Thai phrase "treat to food, lay down the mat" -- refers to the expectation that underlings lavish superiors and VIPs with local delicacies, top-notch accommodation and sex services.