Britons could face up to two years in jail in Thailand party island Covid breach
Britons are among dozens of revellers arrested after allegedly breaking Covid rules at a bar on the Thai island known for Full Moon beach parties.
The night raid on the Three Sixty Bar on Koh Phangan on Tuesday saw 89 foreign nationals arrested, along with 22 Thais, including the bar owner and another who sold drinks there.
Police discovered the party plans as the bar promoted the event on social media to celebrate its fifth anniversary, Police Col. Suparerk Pankosol, superintendent of the provincial immigration office said. Entry tickets were 100 baht (£2.44), with food and drink extra.
The foreigners arrested were from more than 10 countries, including Britain, the US, Switzerland and Denmark, Suparerk said.
Photos distributed by police show a dark, crowded room with casually dressed partygoers, almost all wearing face masks.
The gathering was illegal under a national state of emergency laws declared last March to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Partygoers face up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 40,000 baht (£974.70). The bar owner and worker could also be charged with violating the Communicable Disease Act, meaning they face a one-year jail term and a fine of up to 100,000 baht (£2,436.74).
The arrested people were being held at the Koh Phangan police station, where investigators were preparing documents to charge them.
Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province is known for its all-night Full Moon beach parties and is a popular with young backpackers. But Thailand has virtually banned all tourists from entering the country since last April.
There have been 15,465 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Thailand, 29 of which were from Surat Thani. 11 of the cases in the province were found in the last month as the country experienced an increase in cases.