Police in Sattahip take action after online outcry over inappropriate use of uniforms
PUBLISHED : 24 Aug 2023 at 15:37
CHON BURI: A group of Sattahip karaoke hostesses who thought that wearing girl scout uniforms would be good for business have been fined 100 baht each for their fashion statement.
Police in the seaside town south of Pattaya took action after online fashion critics reacted unfavourably to photos and videos of the young women on a Line group that later went viral.
Pol Col Panya Damlek, chief of the Sattahip station, ordered officers on Wednesday night to track down the hostesses at the bar near the Thongthip market. They were brought in for questioning and told that the Scout Act of 2008 takes a dim view of people wearing scout uniforms and emblems for non-scouting purposes.
The offence carries a jail term of up to one month and/or a fine of up to 1,000 baht. In this case police fined the first-time offenders 100 baht each as they had made an honest mistake, said Pol Lt Col Sinsamut Bunthatsana, investigation chief at the station.
One of the staff said she came to work in a girl scout uniform on her birthday on Aug 18. She proposed a theme night in which all the staff would wear the uniforms.
She insisted she was not aware that she was doing anything illegal, and apologised to anyone who was offended.