Thai immigration authorities have revoked the visas of a French couple and placed them on a blacklist after a video showing them engaging in explicit sexual activity on a public tuk-tuk triggered widespread public outrage.
Officials said the incident was inappropriate, violated public decency laws, and caused reputational damage to Thailand’s image as a world-class tourist destination.
The case emerged after images circulated widely on social media showing a foreign couple engaging in lewd behaviour aboard a tuk-tuk travelling along the Kathu–Patong road in Phuket on January 30. The footage prompted strong criticism from the public and swift action from authorities.
According to officials, the couple’s actions demonstrated a clear disregard for Thai law and public morals, raising concerns over the impact on Phuket’s tourism sector.
Local police, working with tourist police, later tracked down and arrested the suspects, identified only as Mr Wesley and Ms Valen, both French nationals. Their full identities were not disclosed.
The pair were charged with committing an obscene act in public by exposing their bodies or engaging in lewd behaviour in a public place. Investigators fined each of them 5,000 baht, which they paid.
Following a review of the case, immigration authorities determined that the offence constituted sufficient grounds for revoking their permission to remain in Thailand. The commander of Immigration Division 6 approved the visa revocation orders.
On Monday, officers from the Phuket Immigration Office conducted follow-up operations after confirming the whereabouts of the two foreigners. One team located Mr Wesley at a hotel in Thalang district, while another found Ms Valen at a hotel in Muang district.
Both individuals were escorted to the immigration office, where officials formally served the visa revocation notices. They were subsequently added to the immigration blacklist and will be deported in accordance with Thai law.
Immigration officials said the operation was carried out under the Immigration Bureau’s strict policy to prevent and suppress offences committed by foreign nationals, including public order violations, transnational crime, illegal employment, call-centre scams, and nominee business operations.
Khemchat Watthanaphakasem, chief of Phuket Immigration, said authorities would continue rigorous screening and enforcement measures to identify individuals who pose risks to society, with the aim of safeguarding public safety and maintaining confidence among residents and law-abiding foreign visitors to Phuket.
