Homeless Khon Kaen couple fined for having sex in public
Police summoned a homeless couple to pay a fine after a viral video showed them having sex in public in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen on Tuesday, May 28.
The video, widely shared on Thai social media, depicted the man and woman engaging in sexual activity on a roadside wooden bench. The incident reportedly occurred around 9pm on May 28 on Lao Nadee 12 Road, near a railway track in Khon Kaen province.
The couple, believed to be homeless, reportedly lived near the local train station. More CCTV footage caught the pair talking to each other for a few minutes before engaging in sex.
Netizens reacted strongly, demanding Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station officers and relevant authorities punish the couple and implement stricter measures to prevent similar incidents.
Following an investigation, police arrested the homeless man, Jumphon Nuandee, yesterday, May 30. During questioning, he admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the homeless woman, 40 year old Eat, as seen in the video.
Jumphon explained that he earned 200 baht from work and gave the money to Eat in exchange for sex. He clarified that they were not in a relationship and had separated after the encounter.
Jumphon claimed that they did not intend to have sex in public but a hotel and a rented room business refused them entry. He said they had no other choice but to engage in the act at that location. The homeless woman, Eat, was arrested today, May 31. She also admitted to being in the video.
The homeless couple were charged under Section 388 of the Criminal Law: committing obscene acts or exposing oneself in a public place. The punishment is a fine of up to 5,000 baht, but officers did not reveal how much they fined the two suspects.
A similar incident took place in the northern province of Phitsanulok in February last year. In this case, two homeless Thai men and a woman had a threesome on a pedestrian bridge in the province in broad daylight. Officers fined them 500 baht each before releasing them.
Public sex was not only reported among the homeless community, as there were several reports of couples, especially foreigners, having sex in public places. The cases were mostly reported in tourist provinces such as Phuket and Pattaya.
