A GIRL under the age of 18 was among 57 sex workers arrested after the Governor, Wichai Praisa-ngob, ordered volunteers to raid one Phuket City nightclub and two massage parlors early today.

The pounce by Provincial Hall officers on the venues followed complaints by neighboring residents.

Raids took place about 1.30am at Phuket Fantasia in Phang Nga Road, Bangkok Thai Massage in Bangkok Road, and Grand Plaza Massage, in a soi near Robinson department store.

The women were taken for questioning at the city's district offices where they provided identification.

One woman manager, suspected of being the Grand Plaza mamasan, Sorawee Honpradit, 41, had 16,000 baht and 21 condoms in her possession.

She also had a list of women and times and customers, officers said.

The under-age worker, arrested with Burmese aged 35 and 21 at Bangkok Thai Massage, was transferred to juvenile detention as soon as her youth became apparent.

The manager of that venue, Somsak Jindatrakul, 47, had 7210 baht in his possession, boxes of condoms, and a diary listing girls and times.

Manager Yuttana Suwasin, 47, was arrested at Fantasia and, like the other managers, accused of not submitting proper worker applications and using premises for prostitution.

The Burmese women were sent to Phuket City Immigration. They will probably be trucked to the border town of Ranong and then sent back to Burma.

The other 54 women, some of whom were not registered, were either fined 1000 baht for not having proper Public Health documents or, if they had proper documentation, allowed to go.