Briton charged with organising 'swingers' parties in Thailand

[Coventina]

Source: The Guardian

A British man accused of organising "swingers" parties in Thailand faces 10 years in jail after police raided a Bangkok hotel where a party was in progress early today.

Christian Arthur Richards, 54, was arrested along with his Thai wife and 22 others – 16 foreigners and six Thais.

Police said that Richards had advertised the "swinging" parties on his website and then charged the couples 3,000 baht (£60) to participate.

The tourist police commander heading the inquiry, Col Archayon Kraithong, said that Richards had been charged with procuring sex and placing commercial sex advertising.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/05/thailand-swingers-charges

[YOY]

1. Apparently the movie "Emanuele" was just a fantasy...

Why knew?

Seriously, the country is notorious for having a crap load of prostitutes who will do the sickest of things for a few Baht...what's the big deal with a bunch of consenting adults or am I not getting the crime here?

[PassingFair]

4. Exploiting starving peoples,

creating sub-cultures where drugs and
child sex "workers" are trafficked...

They will do the "sickest things for a few Baht",
so why not arrange tourist junkets to take advantage
of that...

or am I not "getting the crime here"?

:crazy:

[YOY]

5. I was talking about the guy getting charged for having swinger sex parties.

Not the other craziness that goes on in Thailand in regard to not "getting the crime here".

I am well aware of some of the sickening shit that comes out of Thailand in regards to sexual slavery and child prostitution and just how certain tours capitalize on that sickness.

[PassingFair]

7. You don't think his having the "parties" in Thailand is not inter-related to their sex trade? n/t

[YOY]

10. Psst...they happen here too.

and in a good many other places...and they must be tied with the sex trade there or anywhere else? If the wives are young locals with rich expat husbands...trophy wives being sexual objects happen everywhere as well. I am sure overhead is charged in other places as well...hardly prostitution but parties cost money.

Don't beleive me? Just google "swingers club". You might be surprised what's going on in your backyard. On occasion they get busted for drugs being involved or thing getting out of hand, but that's just local news stuff.

Swinging ain't my cup of tea but it's not illegal...well maybe in Saudi Arabia or Iran...

Now if those wives (or husbands come to think of it) are unwilling/forced to participate...that's a crime...obviously.

[PassingFair]

16. If they charge money for it, they get closed down...

they get raided and busted all the time.

[Taverner]

13. Swingers parties usually indicate couples mixing with other couples

[FedUpWithIt All]

19. I think they may have happened in Thailand is because the man's wife is Thai. n/t

[jberryhill]

20. "none of the women were prostitutes." - from the story

No, I don't think it was related to the sex trade.

There are a lot of ex-pats who live in Thailand because it has a reasonable cost of living, good climate, great food, natural beauty, etc.

I'm sure some of them are swingers, just like anywhere else.

[Zhade]

24. Until there's any EVIDENCE it is, you're wrong to assume otherwise.

Guess you don't believe in the concept of innocent until proven guilty.

[PassingFair]

26. Puhleaze!

And Neil Bush has random
"non-hookers" showing up
at his hotel rooms in
Taiwan.

:rofl:

What I believe doesn't MATTER.

You people act like you were INVOLVED.

:rofl:

They DID have to pay fines....

:eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. The article specifically said that none there were prostitutes.

It was not part of the sex trade - it was a swingers party. All consenting adults. Not the same thing at all.

[PassingFair]

9. Right...those "7 Thai females" were there to have free sex

with middle-aged British men.

:eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. You could try reading the fucking article.

In a place awash with prostitution, the police chief said NONE were prostitutes. And, BTW, the only Brit was the guy who organized it - READ THE ARTICLE.

[PassingFair]

15. 13 FOREIGN MALES

I read the "fucking article".

Maybe those 7 Thai females have
never been charged before...

But I guess that you buy Neil Bush's
story of anonymous Taiwanese women showing
up at his hotel for sex unbidden!!

Not prostitution, though.

:eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. 13 foreign men, and 3 foreign women, plus several local women.

A sex club. Pay for membership and participation. The article did not say the men paid - it said the participants paid. That implies everyone paid a door charge.

This is in Thailand, but you can find the same thing in your own home town. With no prostitutes.

[PassingFair]

18. I know what the article said.

I draw my own inferences.

I don't believe for a MINUTE that
those "7 Thai females" were paying
to have sex with foreigners.

Not for a minute.

:hi:

[struggle4progress]

33. The fee seems be be about $85 "per couple." I guess it could be a Dutch-treat date.

But it appears that, for some reason, not all the guys there had been able to find a date to bring

[jberryhill]

21. This may come as something of a shock, but...

Thailand is not some parochial little backwater of a country, and there are mixed nationality marriages there, just like anywhere else.

[Hannah Bell]

30. He charged for entry = prostitution.

Unless he charged the 6 thai females entry fees too.

But i doubt it.

[not fooled]

32. As an aside, read "Shock Doctrine"

to learn why Thailand has become a center for this type of thing. Economic malfeasance backed by Western interests has thrown millions into poverty there and led to a huge rise in exploitation. Way to go America!!!

[Taverner]

11. They didn't pay off the right people

They must not have sent the Bhat far enough up the chain

[YOY]

12. And the man who know's Thailand is here!

Rock on Taverner. Just simple corruption. Easy case.

[Ignis]

22. Think he'll be after a bribery refund?

You'd think he'd been in SE Asia long enough to figure out which palms needed greasing. :shrug:

[Swagman]

27. prostitution is illegal but police turn a blind eye...sadly it's a very

corrupt country.

[w4rma]

2. 10 years for sex between consenting adults. And no prostitution involved?

The laws are screwed up over there.

[Hannah Bell]

31. consenting adults = no entry fee.

entry fees = selling sex for money.

[tabasco]

3. I'm curious to see what happens in the Thai courts.

The charges seem to be for crimes related to prostitution.

If this guy was just throwing a party, he wouldn't be charging a fee.

But if it was just a bunch of consenting adults, I hope it gets thrown out.

[Swagman]

28. few people are found innocent in Thai courts..but the charges can

"vanish " and the whole matter go away!

[Submariner]

6. I've worked with British ex-pats who work at sea and go home to

Thailand during breaks. They are usually older white guys living with, or married to, young Thai women who cater to them like servants. The Brits like it because they save on income taxes, and supposedly the Thai King makes it an easy life environment for the ex-pats.

[rollingrock]

23. This is for the tabloids

If you want to discuss this kind of thing, please go to Perezhilton.com

[struggle4progress]

34. Welcome to DU!

:) :toast: :)

[yellowcanine]

25. Was Rush Limbaugh involved?

[SpiralHawk]

29. and was official Bush White House man prostitute Jeff Gannon involved?

And were they 'doing' republicon-style diaper sex?

Someone has to get to the bottom of this...