BANGKOK (AFP) – Thai
authorities said Monday they had arrested the owner of a sex show visited by
pop icon Rihanna — the latest crackdown inadvertently triggered by the singer’s
tweets.
The bar owner on the island
of Phuket has been charged in connection with the lewd performance, local
district chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told AFP, following an operation involving
undercover officials.
“It was the result of the
visit by Rihanna. The authorities will be more strict towards inappropriate
shows or wildlife attractions,” he said.
Thai tourist officials were
left red-faced after Rihanna’s tweets last month drew worldwide attention to
the kingdom’s seedier side.
“Either I was phuck wasted
lastnight, or I saw a Thai woman pull a live bird,2 turtles,razors,shoot darts
and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y,” she wrote in a message in September to
her more than 32 million followers on Twitter.
“The birds feathers were
all damp! Lol. Only in #Thailand,” she added.
“And THEN she tried to turn
water into coke in her $!! Uhh yea, all I’m saying is water went in and soda
came out! I’m traumatized!!!”
It is the second time the
pop diva has unwittingly helped to clean up Phuket, one of Thailand’s top
tourist destinations.
Last month two men were
arrested for possessing a protected slow loris after Rihanna posted a picture
of herself with the primate on a night out during the same visit to the island.
The image — captioned “Look
who was talkin dirty to me!” (http://instagram.com/p/efvnHRBM3B/) — generated
outrage from wildlife activists about rampant exploitation of animals in Thai
tourist areas.
Use of the slow loris and
other protected species for tourist snaps — while common in Thai tourist
resorts — is officially illegal.
According to wildlife
protection campaigners, mother lorises are often killed while the young are
stolen. The primates’ teeth are also removed due to their toxic bite.
Thailand’s sun-drenched
beaches and libidinous nightlife have long been a magnet for tourists from
around the world.
But following a flurry of
complaints, foreign diplomats have called for a crackdown on scams and crimes
against tourists in Phuket.
Local tourist police
volunteers warn against venturing into strip clubs offering “ping-pong shows”
due to the risk of overpriced drinks and threats of violence against people who
refuse to pay.
“As well as dealing
seriously with inappropriate shows and drugs, police will do more to protect
the safety of tourists as the high season approaches,” said Phuket police chief
Ongart Phewreungnon.
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