Indian, 22 others arrested in ’swinging’ Bangkok party

BANGKOK - An Indian was among the 23 people arrested here early Thursday for participating in an orgy, police said.

Police raided the ’swinging party’ at the Elizabeth Hotel in Bangkok at 12.15 a.m. Thursday, nabbing 14 foreign men, two foreign women and seven Thai women.

The foreign nationals arrested were from Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the US, Tourist Police commander Colonel Archayon Kraithong said.

Police caught several of the participants having group sex in two hotel rooms and found used condoms, lubricant gel, porno books and CDs and 30 Viagra pills.

The party goers were freed after being charged 1,000 baht ($29) for lewd behaviour, but British national Christian Arthur Richards, 54, and his Thai wife face more serious charges and a possible 10 years in prison for advertising and procurement for sex parties.

Richards and his wife are under investigation for organising as many as 100 orgies in Thailand over the past four years.

‘This was not the first time we tried to catch them,’ said Archayon. ‘We have been following their activities for a long time but it wasn’t easy to nab them because they changed the venues often, sometimes holding parties in Pattaya, Bangkok or Chon Buri.’

Prostitution, although widespread in Thailand, is illegal.