PATTAYA – Tourist police officers were dispatched to patrol Pattaya beach after a 1.25-minute video circulated on social media showing foreign tourists publicly engaging in sexual acts, prompting widespread criticism.
The one who posted the clip on Facebook stated that he received it on February 7, 2024 from a conversation group in the Telegram app, with the administrator of the group being the original poster.
During an investigation by the tourist police on February 8 at around 11:00 pm, Thai and foreign tourists were still sitting on the beach drinking. Normally there are many tourists there until around 2:00 am, leading to the assumption that the incident in the clip probably took place between 2:00 and 4:00 am.
Pol. Lt. Col. Piyapong Ensarn, stated that upon examination of the images in the clip, tents were seen near the Jomtien branch water sports center of the Pattaya Lifeguards. There were 2 tents present. Mr. Phudit Phongsan, a lifeguard at the Jomtien branch, stated that the tents had been moved for over 2 months, leading to the assumption that the incident in the clip probably occurred more than 2 months ago.
The Tourist Police warn that under Thai law, sexual acts in public places are considered an offense against public order. If someone witnesses such behavior, they can report it to the police under Section 388 of the Penal Code. Any person guilty of indecent acts in public, such as exposing the body or other lewd acts, can be fined up to 5,000 baht.
In cases where individuals distribute inappropriate images online, there are also legal consequences under the Computer Crime Act, which can be punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both. Those who redistribute such images online are subject to the same penalties under Article 14 of the same Act.
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