The man, named by police only as ‘Mr Georgii’, was taken into custody at about 3:45pm today (Sept 25) after Phuket City Police tracked his movements and learned that he had departed Phuket International Airport earlier in the day. Investigators coordinated with officers at Suvarnabhumi to keep watch for him as he arrived on a connecting flight.
After his arrest, Mr Georgii was questioned by Suvarnabhumi Airport Police before being flown back to Phuket, where he is now being held at Phuket City Police Station.
Phuket City Police Chief Pol Col Chatri Chukaew confirmed that investigators are preparing charges of public indecency and have requested the Immigration Bureau revoke the Russian national’s visa and blacklist him to prevent re-entry to Thailand.
The arrest follows an uproar online over a short video clip showing a naked man and woman having sex in the open cargo bed of a black pickup truck travelling northbound along the bypass road in Rassada. The footage, filmed by a passing motorist, spread rapidly across Thai social media late last night, drawing widespread condemnation.
Online commenters described the act as “shameless” and “disrespectful to Thailand”, while others highlighted the danger to motorists and the potential harm to Phuket’s reputation as a tourist destination. Public indecency is a criminal offence in Thailand, carrying penalties that can include fines, arrest and deportation for foreign nationals.