A 21-year-old woman arrested in Phrae for illegally straightening people's teeth has told police she learned her skills from YouTube.
Police examine braces and other dental equipment seized from Thararat Thaptimtae, 21, (right) in her dormitory room in Phrae. (Photo by Thaweesak Sukkasem)
Thararat Thaptimtae was arrested after police and public health officials raided a room in a dormitory on Ratch-uthit Road in Muang district of the northern province on Friday.
They were responding to complaints that the occupant of the room had been providing illegal dental alignment for vocational students and other teenagers.
Some customers complained that they had suffered dental infections after having their teeth aligned in the makeshift clinic.
Police said that Miss Thararat, a former vocational student, confessed that she had never studied dentistry or worked at a dental clinic.
She said she learned how to align teeth by watching videos on YouTube and later posted messages on her Facebook page offering her services. She charged between 800 and 1,200 baht and had many teenage customers. Police said she told them the service brought her a healthy income.