WOMEN ACCUSE BOSS OF SLAVERY; U.S. CHARGES THAI EMPLOYER.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen and Sharline Chiang Daily News Staff Writers

A Woodland Hills woman was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday, accused of smuggling two Thai women into the country, forcing them to work at her home and restaurant, and denying them medical care, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In a 29-page affidavit, Supawan Verapol, 52, a Thai national, is accused of illegally bringing two women, Thonglim Khamphiranon, 41, and Somkhit Yindiphot, 57, into the United States through connections with dignitaries, including her common-law husband, Prasat Mansuwan, the Thai ambassador to Sweden.

Verapol operated the Gulf of Siam restaurant at 22984 Ventura Blvd. until recently when it changed ownership.

``Thonglim had to sleep in front of her front (bedroom) door like a puppy dog,'' said Chanchanit Martorell, executive director of the Thai Community Development Center in Los Angeles, which is now housing the women. ``She had to crawl on her knees to serve her. . . . To me, they were slaves and she was the master.''

In an interview Wednesday, Verapol denied all counts of the indictment and allegations of mistreatment, calling the two women as close to her as sisters.

In the affidavit, Verapol is accused of making threats to the women, including a promise that, if betrayed, she ``would bite (Yindiphot) and latch on relentlessly to her until she died.''

The two women also said they were denied medical care, including when one of the women had to pull out her own tooth, and once when one woman sliced off part of her finger and had to continue working, the affidavit says.

Verapol said the charges are part of a plot by a former business partner to turn the women against her. She alleges the ex-partner and others offered the women $200,000 each to file the charges.

The two women lived in her home in the 23500 block of Burbank Boulevard - one for six years and the other seven years - until they ``escaped'' Jan. 14 while the defendant was vacationing, authorities said.

The women had to sleep on the floor and faced long days of chores in addition to working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week at the restaurant. They also were ordered to perform such chores as preparing Verapol's children for school, washing the bathrooms, vacuuming and gardening, the affidavit states.

And one of the victims said that during her six-year confinement, she was made aware of at least nine other women brought from Thailand to work illegally, the affidavit says.

Verapol countered that she treated the two as part of the family.

``I loved them like sisters,'' she said, crying in frustration. The ex-business partner ``has washed their brains.''

Verapol led reporters on a tour of her well-decorated house to show how the women lived, including two humble but neat bedrooms where she said the women slept in beds. They were never forced to perform chores, she added.

While in Thailand, the two were told they would work as restaurant cooks, with Khamphiranon earning $240 per month and Yindiphot $200 per month, the affidavit states. They would both work six days a week, with Sundays off, and their medical care and room and board would be provided for free.

Verapol said the two were never paid wages; rather, she gave them some funds whenever they required it.

``I gave them money whenever they needed it, and gold - but it's not salary,'' she said.

Verapol said she bought the women everything from cameras to VCRs and paid for Khamphiranon's daughter's college education in Thailand.

Verapol said she has known Khamphiranon for 20 years and Yindiphot for 10 years. Their families are close and live together in Bangkok, she said.

But the affidavit tells a different story:

``On one occasion, Supawan refused to take (Khamphiranon) to a dentist for emergency dental care. Due to the severe pain, and because Supawan had refused to take her to the dentist, Thonglim had to extract her own rear molar tooth.''

Verapol countered that a friend took the woman to the dentist.

When Khamphiranon came to the United States in August 1991, and Yindiphot came in June 1992, Verapol immediately took possession of their passports, used threats against the victims and their families, censored their mail, disallowed them to mingle with other Thais and attend religious services as part of her control, the affidavit states.

In January, the pair left the home after their plight came to the attention of Peter Thipp, who took over Verapol's restaurant and renamed it the Bangkok Princess.

Thipp, a master of ceremonies in the Thai community and part-time writer for the Peaceful Thai newspaper, said Khamphiranon and Yindiphot gradually revealed the details of their enslavement after Verapol sent them to help out in his kitchen in November.

Verapol is scheduled to be arraigned April 13. She has been released after posting a $500,000 bond.

Daily News Staff Writer Deborah Sullivan contributed to this story.