3 Japanese tourists fined for lifting skirt of Pattaya hairdresser
Thais call for tougher action on foreign suspects to prvent future incidents
Three Japanese men face a fine for sexually harassing a Thai hairdresser in Pattaya on Saturday, October 19, by lifting her skirt. The Thai online community called for harsher penalties to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The owner of K.K Hairstyles @ Pattaya Barbers & Salon in Pattaya, 33 year old Kanokkarn, shared CCTV footage of the incident on social media to publicise the Japanese nationals for their inappropriate behaviour.
The video showed three Japanese men talking and laughing at Kanokkarn before two of them lifted her skirt while she was cutting the hair of their friend. The incident prompted Kanokkarn to hand the evidence to the Mueang Pattaya Police Station to seek legal action against the men.
Police officers yesterday, October 21, arrived at a hotel on Pattaya Second Road, where the Japanese nationals were staying. The three were escorted to the police station for questioning. Several Thai journalists waited for the foreigners, but they refused to speak to the media.
According to a report by Daily News, officers had to spend some time persuading the Japanese suspects to talk. They eventually spoke to the police, saying they wanted to meet the victim and apologise to her. They also gave a wai gesture as a sign of remorse, but refused to provide further details about the incident.
The group was charged under Section 388 of the Criminal Law for committing an act that offends public morality by exposing one’s body or performing an indecent act in public. The offence carries a maximum fine of 5,000 bah, although the exact fine imposed on the trio has not been disclosed.
Police arranged a meeting between the Japanese men and the victim, so that the men could apologise in person. Kanokkarn forgave the three foreigners, saying that she could see how remorseful they were and did not want the situation to escalate.
In an interview with the media, Kanokkarn said that Thai people love Japanese tourists as most of them are good and respectful. However, the actions of these three men were disrespectful to Thai women and to their host country. She hopes that no one else will treat Thai women this way.
The incident continues to spark widespread criticism online. Many urged officials to consider stronger punishments and stricter measures to prevent similar behaviour in the future.
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