A British backpacker has been arrested for stripping naked in front of other stunned tourists as they posed for a group photo while on holiday in Thailand.
Joseph William Kershaw, 23, was caught on camera by a Krabi resident strolling along Ao Nang beach with his clothes in his hand before taking a photo in front of the sailfish sculpture.
Footage shows a gathering of between 20 and 30 young foreigners on the paradisiacal beach, all cheering as Kershaw waved his genitals, paying no attention to horrified locals or passing motorists.
The incident occurred on April 8, after the group of tourists arrived at the location accompanied by a Thai tour guide.
Before long, Kershaw began taking off his clothes in the Thai heat, down to his underwear as his teammates applauded his brazen display.
Joseph William Kershaw, 23, was caught on camera by a local Thai man stripping naked and waving his genitals in front of tourists and Krabi residents.
Krabi locals told Thai media that their behavior was disrespectful to both the iconic sculpture and the community.
Kershaw was arrested on April 9 and fined £110 for the “misdemeanor”.
According to local reports, the Thai tour guide did not intervene.
But while his friends may have found the nude display entertaining, locals were not impressed, claiming his behavior was disrespectful to the iconic sculpture and the Krabi community.
The person who filmed the incident told local television station Channel 3 that both Thais and tourists were present at the scene, but this did not seem to faze the careless Brit.
After multiple complaints from locals and after seeing the images, the Krabi Immigration Police and the Ao Nang police station managed to identify Kershaw and discovered that he was in Thailand on a tourist visa.
He was arrested at his hostel yesterday afternoon and taken to Ao Nang Police Station, where he humiliatedly apologized in a blue T-shirt and baseball cap.
Kershaw admitted to being the man in the video and claimed that he stripped naked because he was drunk and overexcited.
Speaking in the video at the police station, Kershaw said: “I’m embarrassed.” I am very sorry for all the people, he was very drunk. I appreciate that it is not acceptable in his culture and that it will not happen again.
‘I’m so sorry… and I thank you all for being helpful and so kind and I apologize. I’m never going to do that again.’
The officers were satisfied with his apology and assurances that he would behave.
Police said today that Kershaw had been fined 5,000 baht (£110) for the behaviour.
Kershaw humiliatedly apologized and admitted to being drunk and overexcited at the time of the incident.
The 23-year-old said: “I’m so sorry… and I thank you all for being helpful and kind and I apologize.” I’m never going to do that again.’
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wirat Inyod, head of the local immigration police, said the suspect was fined and released.
Kershaw will not appear in court.
The policeman said: ‘He came here on a tourist visa. He was fined because this is only considered a minor infraction.’
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wittaya Thongkong from Ao Nang Police Station added: “The suspect was fined for performing such a disgraceful act in public by undressing, exposing his naked person or committing any other act of obscenity under section 388 of the Thai Penal Code. .
‘The investigator imposed a maximum fine of 5,000 baht.
‘As for allegations from locals that he worked illegally, we have investigated and discovered that the suspect, who entered legally on a tourist visa, did not do any work.
In 2019, six tourists (three British, one Austrian, one Japanese and one Thai) were arrested for swimming naked at Ao Nang beach.
The group, all aged between 17 and 20, allegedly admitted to being drunk at the time. Each of them had to pay a fine of 500 baht.