Atchariya said members of his organisation had spoken to the other women partygoers who confirmed that one of the men at the party was khon mee si, using the Thai catch-all term for a “man in uniform”, although he did not specify whether the uniform was of the police or army.

Atchariya urged the partygoers to turn themselves in, but Thai police played down the likelihood of foul play, and no charges have been filed in the incident.

“As of now … it’s not a criminal case,” Police Colonel Prasopchok Iemphinit, chief of the Phahon Yothin police station in Bangkok, told reporters on Thursday, adding that there was “more than one man” at the party and that four women, including Whitchayaporn, had been hired to entertain the men.

“If we find that there’s no wrongdoing, this case will be over,” he said.

But as shock at the case gained ground, police on Friday searched the party house and collected DNA from the vehicle used to drop Wa-Wa at the hospital, Thai media reported.

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For so-called pretties like Whitchayaporn, gigs pouring drinks and hostessing at parties like the one she went to on Monday can pay well – from around 1,000 baht (US$35) to up to 10,000 (US$330) baht depending on their risk level and services expected by clients. They can also involve the ingestion of large amounts of alcohol and drugs.

Many Thai women are regularly drawn into the industry, which can provide a steady income stream or, in some cases, offers a great source of wealth. Some of the top earners have millions of followers on social media and are signed for well-paying product endorsement deals.

Fuelled by Instagram, a vast network of agents and the chance for fame and glamour, the industry is highly competitive, with women often undergoing plastic surgery to enhance their looks to stay in the good graces of their clientele, who are mainly rich, powerful men.

But stories of sexual and physical abuse abound, and Thailand’s legal system offers few safeguards for the women involved, instead favouring the powerful and well-connected.

“When the clients are influential people, if there’s a case of rape, assault or even death, police officers will often give more weight to the clients who hire the pretties because they’re of higher status,” Supensri Pungkoksung, director of the Social Equality Promotion Foundation, told This Week in Asia.

One pretty who charges around 5,000 baht for a few hours of hostessing said sexual harassment and the pressure to take drugs or drink heavily are commonplace.

“Some pretties who can read the game get themselves out of the situation as fast as they can,” said the woman, who would only be identified as “Pink”.

“Those who end up in trouble are either forced into [a job] out of desperation for money or for fear of not being hired again.”

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Wa-Wa’s death was not the first time a tragedy befalling a pretty had made headlines.

In September 2019, a pretty named Thitima Noraphanphiphat was found dead in a condo lobby after being called out to a 24-hour party at a home in suburban Bangkok. A toxicology report revealed that she had died of excessive alcohol intake.

Six men who attended the party – including a male model and the owner of the house – were found guilty of a range of offences including the illegal detention of Thitima and illegal assembly, and in October 2020 each was sentenced to a jail term of up to eight years.

All, however, are still free on bail and intend to appeal.