Briton charged with organising swingers parties in Thailand

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.

"He is under interrogation, but has been charged with procurement and commercial sex advertisements, which could land him 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 20,000 baht," Col Archayon said.


Photo from here.

The 22 participants – from France, Australia, the US, China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand – were all released after paying fines of 1,000 baht each. Police raided the two-star Elizabeth Hotel in the Chatuchak area of the Thai capital minutes after midnight, bursting into room 1101.

In the £25-a-night room they found 13 foreign men with three foreign women and seven Thai females. Col Archayon said none of the women were prostitutes. When the officers entered the 11th floor room they discovered several couples having sex, while the rest of those at the party were drinking and dancing.

Police also discovered condoms, lubricant gels, pornographic books and DVDs and 30 Viagra pills. Richards and his Thai wife are alleged to have organised more than 100 parties in Bangkok and the beach resort town of Pattaya over the past three years.