26 Year-Old Woman Busted Over Topless Songkran Video

Police in central Thailand have chastised a 26 year-old woman after a video surfaced online of her dancing topless at a Songkran festival party. Locals were appalled and reported the video of the woman’s conduct to authorities. The topless Songkran video went viral online.

The video showed Ms. Maneerat Butwilai, 26, gyrating topless on top of a table at a Songkran festival party in Samut Prakan province, on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The video shows her in black hot pants dancing and laughing in front of other locals while high-energy music plays in the background.

However, stunned residents reported the video to authorities, and Ms. Maneerat was arrested, she blamed the topless incident on the heat, which has topped 40 degrees in recent weeks.

“I apologize for offending anyone she said. This is not something I generally do. I was inebriated and it was really hot that day, so I took off my top. “I think I had heat stroke as well,” she told police.

“I had no idea someone were filming me at the Songkran party. That is not how I would have acted. I’m not going to do that again.”

Before being released, Ms. Maneerat was fined 5,000 Baht ($145.00) for public obscenity. Mr. Ong-art Nantachan, 33, the owner of the nightclub, was fined 20,000 Baht ($585.00) when officers discovered he did not have a license to operate the facility.

Police Colonel Noppadol Changruen, superintendent of the Muang Samut police, said many people reported the video, expressing outrage at the woman’s behaviour,

He said Section 388 of Thailand’s Criminal Code states that “any person who commits such a disgraceful act in public by undressing himself, exposing his undressed person, or committing any other act of obscenity shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred baht.”

Every year from April 13 to April 15, people celebrate Songkran Festival, which sees the country’s businesses close down while residents splash one other with water to bring prosperity for the new year.

The once-serene celebration, however, has produced an alcohol-fueled orgy of round-the-clock water battles across the country’s biggest cities, with hundreds of thousands of tourists engaging in the wild depravity.

The Government has advised residents not to drink and drive, and Bangkok officials have designated different regions of the city based on the intensity of the activities.

Songkran road death toll

According to the Interior Ministry, traffic accidents killed 197 people and injured 1,738 others during the first five days of the event.

Chotenarin Kerdsom, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, stated on Sunday that 1,744 accidents happened on roadways across the country from April 11 to 15.

The northern province of Nan had the most accidents (59) over the time, and Bangkok had the greatest death toll (15). Nan had the highest number of individuals injured in road accidents, with 59 people, he added.

On April 15, there were 311 road incidents, 31 fatalities, and 304 injuries.

Speeding infractions were responsible for 35.37% of the accidents, followed by drunk driving (25.72%). 78.93% of the accidents involved motorcycles.

Mr Chotenarin stated that most Songkran travellers were returning from their vacation on Sunday, resulting in increased traffic congestion. He cautioned drivers to be cautious because they might be exhausted from their Songkran celebrations.

Meanwhile, Weerakit Hanparipan, director-general of the Department of Probation, stated that there were 5,869 cases of drunk driving, 95 cases of drug-abusing drivers, and 23 cases of dangerous driving from April 11 to 15.

According to Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk, the number of traffic accidents on the first five days of Songkran holiday travel increased 17.20% from the same period last year but decreased 12.58% from the three-year average.

The number of people injured grew by 19.70% from the previous year but decreased by 13.53% from the three-year average. According to him, the number of road fatalities reduced by 10.05% from the previous year and by 21.51% when compared to the previous three-year average.