The government of Thailand launched today a new 3-month war on nude and sex shows in the country, warning that that harsh action would be taken against all entertainment venues in Thailand that continued to violate the Thai legislation.
This morning, the Deputy Interior Minister of Thailand, Pracha Maleenont announced that the crackdown would particularly focus on venues that violated the 1962 Thai Service Venue Act.
Deputy Minister Pracha Maleenont further warned that Bangkok's famous entertainment areas of Patpong, Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and Suthisarn would certainly not be exempted from the action. The Deputy Minister had sent a letter to the National Police Chief of Thailand and to the Commander of Bangkok's Metropolitan Police Force demanding rigorous actions against all venues in the country offering pornographic, topless, nude and sex shows.
Pracha Maleenonte said that he was also demanding strong action for the war on nude, topless and sex shows from the Provincial Governors in the Kingdom, and specially the tourist areas and provinces of Pattaya, Chonburi, Koh Samui, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Songkhla.
The Deputy Minister agreed that the current legislation in Thailand was not sufficient to crack down on the organizers of nude and sex shows, noting that the fines involved were only a mere Bt2,000 (US$ 50).
But he warned that the recent complete closure of the Caruso bar in Bangkok's Nana Plaza should serve as a reminder to those organizing sex and nude shows that the time had come that they could no longer operate those shows in Thailand. The ministry in collaboration with the Police had ordered the closure of the Caruso Bar and 26 other entertainment venues in Bangkok's Nana Plaza were watched closely.
The Deputy Minister said that if the local police were unable to take actions, the ministry itself would step in.
He also said that the his Ministry had asked the Ministry of Finance to inspect unlicensed and other-licensed "massage parlors" and "night entertainment venues" which did not pay the right taxes and which offered "other services".
