Thai Govt Orders Inspection of Hotels, Clubs on Valentine’s Day

The Thai government is preparing its annual campaign to monitor nightclubs and hotels on Valentine’s Day to prevent incidents of rape or other illegal activities.

Apinan Suethanuwong, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, said state agencies in “every province” have been ordered to ensure that clubs and hotels strictly follow regulations on the holiday.

“Owners of entertainment venues and hotels like to organize events or activities that attract members of the public to use their services,” Apinan said yesterday. “So there is a risk of crimes, sexual problems, and other accidents.”

Valentine’s Day has become a widely-celebrated holiday in Thailand in recent decades. According to a report compiled by Kasikorn Bank, spending around the holiday last year amounted to 1.5 billion baht.

However, authorities in Thailand – a socially-conservative country despite its free-wheeling sex industry – have frowned upon the holiday, as it is perceived to encourage premarital sex.
Full story – Khaosod English

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