Hooked: Foreigner makes waves, takes a dip in fish spa (video)

A foreign man captured the attention of Thai netizens after a viral video on the TikTok application showed him dipping his head into a fish tank foot spa to cool off on a hot day in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

A Thai man shared the video on his TikTok account, @dai.yin.see.tatto, yesterday, May 27, with the caption, “When a foreigner comes to Chiang Mai.” The video gained over 1,400 views and numerous comments before being deleted.

The video depicted the foreign man immersing his head in a fish tank typically used for foot pedicures and also known as fish spa. A Thai police officer was seen pulling the man out of the thank and questioning his action making him aware the tank was intended for feet, not heads

The video sparked a flood of humorous comments from Thai netizens including…

“This can cure acne and treat large facial pores.”

“Fish spa for the head! Why not?”

“Maybe I’m wrong. Not feet, but head.”

“He might feel itchy on his head.”

“Police should not intervene in the process. He was relaxing!”

“He was talking with the fish!”

“Could not imagine how many feet dipped in the tank before.”

Some netizens speculated that the man might have been too drunk to control himself, while others suggested he was simply too hot to care about the water’s cleanliness.

Fish spas are popular among both locals and foreign tourists in Thailand. People dip their feet into the tanks and allow the fish to nibble away dead skin, purportedly resulting in smoother skin. However, many other countries banned it due to health risks and animal cruelty concerns.

Health risks include the potential for bacteria and germs to enter the human body through the fish, especially for those with foot wounds. Additionally, the tanks can become a breeding ground for germs after multiple people use them.

Animal rights activists also point out that the tanks are not suitable habitats for Garra rufa fish, also known as doctor fish, and that dead skin is not their natural food source. The fish are starving, so they have had to eat dead skin to survive.