Karaoke chaos: Scout’s dishonour as bar’s Girl Scout-themed staff raises eyebrows

A karaoke bar in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri province has come under public scrutiny after images of its staff dressed as Girl Scouts surfaced online. The incident, which was initially justified as a birthday theme, sparked widespread criticism, prompting the individuals involved to apologise to the public and vow that such an event would not happen again.

The controversy erupted when pictures of female karaoke employees donning Girl Scout uniforms, traditionally worn by young girls, began circulating on social media. The images were reportedly taken at a karaoke bar located in the Thanon Thong Thip community, Sattahip. An individual who claimed to have close ties with a senior police officer was found to be behind the incident. Further investigations revealed that the individual was an employee of the karaoke bar.

The online uproar led to local law enforcement officers uncovering the identities of the women involved. At 11pm yesterday, Police Lieutenant Colonel Panya Damlek, station chief of Sattahip Police, ordered his officers to locate and detain all the women involved.

Once found, they were brought in for questioning at the Sattahip Police Station, where they were charged under the Scout Act of 2008, section 64. The act stipulates that anyone who dresses in a scout uniform or displays scout symbols without permission, leading others to believe they are authorised to do so, is subject to a maximum penalty of one month in prison, a fine of up to 1,000 baht (US$28), or both, reported KhaoSod.

The karaoke girls who dressed as Girl Scouts faced public criticism. Subsequently, Police Lieutenant Colonel Sinsamut Buntatsana, the investigating officer, fined each girl 100 baht (US$3), considering it their first offence and due to their lack of knowledge about the law. The girls, who worked as drinks servers at a karaoke bar in Sattahip, were informed that if found guilty of such offences in the future, they would be prosecuted with no exceptions.

One of the girls who dressed as a Girl Scout, identified as A (pseudonym), said that the day they wore the Girl Scout uniforms was her birthday on August 18. She had planned a Girl Scout-themed party with her friends and coworkers at the bar. They had dressed up and enjoyed themselves at the bar before taking photos and videos, which were later posted on social media. Unaware that wearing Girl Scout uniforms constituted an offence, she apologised to society and promised that such an incident would not happen again.