Royal Thai Navy responds to bikini controversy on Koh Samae San, says it is a recommendation, not a ban, will change signs

Chonburi —

Koh Samae San is for conservation (eco) tourism, and bikinis contradict that type of tourism, said a Navy spokesperson in response to a Facebook viral post regarding a ban on wearing bikinis for beachgoers on Koh Samae San.

Navy spokesman Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin responded on Facebook, Friday, July 29th, to netizens and beachgoers about a sign on Koh Samae San in Chonburi, reading “No Bikini. Please respect our culture”, which went viral on social media, drawing numerous inquiries from Thais and other nationalities about why the bikinis were banned on the beach.

According to Pokkrong, the Royal Navy is in charge of caring for Koh Samae San, and it wants to promote conservation tourism rather than ordinary tourism, but the spokesperson stressed that this is not mandatory and the sign is actually just a recommendation.

As for why bikinis were targeted, Pokkrong reasoned that it is against Thai culture and that the Navy merely wants to maintain orders and stick to a conservation tourism policy. “We also ban noisy gatherings and drinking on the beach to preserve peace,” Pokkrong stated on Facebook.

However, to prevent further misunderstanding among tourists, the Thai Navy has ordered all signs banning bikinis to be replaced with more appropriate ones “suggesting” proper decor. The spokesperson did not provide any details on the punishment for violating this policy.

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The Pattaya News, owned by our parent company TPN media.

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Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for many years and has worked with The Pattaya News for more than four years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.