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Thai navy asks women not to wear bikinis on its beaches

BANGKOK — The Thai navy does not prohibit women wearing bikinis on its beaches but asks visitors for their cooperation in not doing so, out of respect for Thai culture, its spokesman said on Friday (July 29).

Tourists walk on a beach on the Thai island of Phuket on Nov 1, 2021, as Thailand welcomes the first group of tourists fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 coronavirus without quarantine.

Tourists walk on a beach on the Thai island of Phuket on Nov 1, 2021, as Thailand welcomes the first group of tourists fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 coronavirus without quarantine.

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BANGKOK — The Thai navy does not prohibit women wearing bikinis on its beaches but asks visitors for their cooperation in not doing so, out of respect for Thai culture, its spokesman said on Friday (July 29).

Vice-Admiral Pokkrong Monthatpalin said the navy asks that visitors not wear bikinis on its beaches for the sake of "order and in accordance with Thai culture and tradition".

He was responding to a July 27 Facebook post on the "Quotidien de Thailande" account of a photo showing a "No Bikini" sign on Koh Samae San, off Chon Buri province. The island is navy territory.

Mr Pokkrong said such signs were aimed only at persuading tourists not to wear bikinis. The navy did not ban bikinis.

The signs were being removed and would be replaced with new ones to create a better understanding of the navy's intention to encourage a conservative form of tourism, the spokesman said.

Koh Samae San is a tourist attraction, but it is under the jurisdiction of the navy, he said. The number of visitors was limited, and they were not allowed to stay overnight, drink alcohol or gather in noisy groups.

According to the Tourism Thailand website, Ko Samae San is one of the nine islands in the Plant Genetic Conservation Project —part of a Royal Initiative by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn — the objectives of which include promoting the island as a place for learning and conservative travelling.

Visitors are able to snorkel, ride on glass-bottom boats as well as kayak and bike around the island.

The tourism authority added that of the five beaches on the island, visitors are only allowed to swim at two — Hat Thien and Hat Luk Lom beaches.

The island also caps the number of visitors at 500 daily. WITH BANGKOK POST

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