A fugitive massage parlour owner has been arrested six years after disappearing amid accusations he trafficked children to work in a sprawling brothel.

Prasert Sukkhee, 63, allegedly recruited youngsters from northeast Thailand and the neighbouring country of Laos before to work at the Nataree entertainment complex in the Ratchada area of Bangkok, Thailand.

Child protection activists from international NGO Nvader complained to police in 2016 that some of the sex workers at the venue were underage.

Cops raided Nataree and claimed they found eight girls under the age of 18 among 121 who were working inside the large hotel-like building.

Local newspaper the Bangkok Post reported that the managers of Nataree massage parlour had paid ‘substantial bribes to police officers in order to be allowed to operate’.

Prasert went on the run while in 2017, five others involved in running the brothel were each sentenced to up to 13 years in jail each.

The alleged trafficker was arrested in the capital on October 4 this year and remanded in police custody.

General Suchart Theerasawat, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, said Prasert had been wanted since 2016 on charges of human trafficking, prostitution of minors, money laundering and harbouring undocumented migrants.