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

Photo by TikTok/ @dai.yin.see.tatto via Channel 8

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.

 

Northern Thailand NewsThailand News

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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