Thailand is intensifying enforcement of local laws against inappropriate tourist behaviour, with officials warning visitors of strict penalties. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Wednesday that authorities would be stricter after several incidents involving tourists engaging in public sexual activity, citing concerns that such behaviour could damage the country's image.
Recent cases have prompted the crackdown. In Pattaya, intoxicated couples were alleged to have engaged in sexual activity on the beach despite witnesses asking them to stop. In another incident, a French couple was filmed engaging in sexual activity on a moving tuk-tuk; they were charged with committing an obscene act in public, had their visas revoked, and were each fined 5,000 baht (approximately C$211). In Phuket, a Spanish man and Peruvian woman were deported after allegedly being sexually inappropriate in a moving tuk-tuk.
Charnvirakul's spokesperson stated that tourists engaging in inappropriate behaviour or disturbing the public must be "prosecuted strictly according to the law, without exception," particularly if the conduct violates Thailand's cultural values and drug laws.
The enforcement push comes as Thailand faces tourism-related challenges. The country welcomed 32.97 million visitors in 2025, a decrease of 7.23 per cent from the previous year. Thailand is now considering making travel insurance mandatory for visitors and absorbs around 10 million Thai baht (approximately C$432,000) annually in unpaid hospital bills from uninsured foreign patients.
