Thailand's Prime Minister’s Office Deputy Spokesperson, Prothale, revealed on Wednesday that a recently circulated video on social media showed a foreign tourist couple engaging in indecent acts on a tuk-tuk in Patong, Kathu District, Phuket, in the early hours of the morning. Local police responded quickly after receiving reports, and at around 8:30pm on May 4th, located the two individuals involved: Ruben, a 41-year-old Spanish man, and Cinthia, a 43-year-old Peruvian woman.
During initial questioning, both admitted to being the parties shown in the video. Investigators then transferred them to the police station, where they were formally charged with "engaging in indecent behavior together in public, including exposing their bodies or committing lewd acts", and fined accordingly.
Prothale stated that according to the latest updates, Phuket Immigration determined that the behavior of these two foreign nationals constituted a serious lack of morals, violated Thai customs, and damaged Phuket's reputation as a world-class tourist destination. They were deported in accordance with the Immigration Act. Additionally, Phuket Immigration will continue collecting evidence to blacklist the two individuals, prohibiting them from re-entering Thailand in the future.
Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin instructed relevant departments to strictly monitor the behavior of foreign tourists at all tourist attractions in order to maintain Thailand’s tourism image and build confidence among global visitors. Those who engage in improper conduct, harass the public or other tourists, must be dealt with strictly by law with zero tolerance, especially those who undermine Thai culture or are involved in narcotics-related offenses.