Urairat Soimee

Urairat Soimee (อุไรรัตน์ สร้อยมี) (1968, 1970, or 1971 – 31 May 2006) was a Thai activist and a victim of human trafficking in Japan.

Soimee was from Phetchabun's Lom Sak district in Thailand and had lived in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan, where she was forced into prostitution. She was incarcerated for several years in a Japanese prison until she was released in September 2005 due to the development of a terminal form of ovarian cancer. She was allowed to return to her hometown in Thailand to spend her final days with her family. Upon her return, Soimee filed a civil lawsuit against her traffickers in Thailand, reported to be the first suit of its kind in the country. However, she died in May 2006 before the case was adjudicated. Her adoptive mother said that she would continue her case in court.

Background Urairat Soimee was born in the Lom Sak district of Phetchabun, Thailand. She had three children and a husband, who became disabled due to a car accident. Like many women in her village, she was poor and had little formal education. She went by the nickname "Bua", which means "lotus flower" in Thai. She was recruited to work in Japan by a wealthy neighbor, Patama Kosaka, an alleged childhood friend of Soimee's mother.

Despite pleas from human rights organizations, Boon was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the murder, and Soimee was sentenced for seven years. While in prison, Soimee was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and released from custody to spend her remaining days with her family in Thailand.

Court battle and final days Patama and her parents, the three traffickers who deceived Soimee and Pranee into coming to Japan, were sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in criminal court. Soimee filed a 4.6 million baht civil lawsuit against the three, reported to be the first of its kind in Thailand. However, she died in May 2006 before her case was adjudicated.

Her adoptive mother, Lamyai Kaewkerd, vowed to continue her battle in court. Upon her return to Thailand, Soimee became a strong voice against human trafficking, leading a campaign that urged other victims to step forward. She earned an award from Thailand's Social Development and Human Security Ministry in March 2006 to celebrate International Women's Day for her work in fighting human trafficking.