An Israeli couple visiting Thailand was arrested on Tuesday after the pair was caught having public sex near the Wang Sai Waterfall, in the Koh Phangan Province, by locals, Israeli and Thai media reported.
The couple’s intimate activities were recorded by locals and have since been leaked online.
The head of the Koh Phangan province, Surya Bonphan, ordered an investigation into the incident, and the couple was summoned to the Koh Phangan immigration office for questioning.
The pair were said to have admitted during questioning to the public sex act and were later arrested.
The police accused them of committing "a shameful act in public by exposing their bodies" and other indecent acts, and they were sent for questioning at the police station.
Public sex in Thailand
Penalties for public sex in Thailand vary from 500 baht to prison sentences, according to Pattaya Mail.
The arrests come after Thai authorities promised to crack down on tourists engaging in public sex acts.
A couple was caught having sex on a public beach in Kratinglay beach in February, and a Chinese couple in their 50s was arrested in December in the waters off Jomtien beach, according to local media.
Thailand's frustration with Israeli tourists
Thai authorities have expressed growing frustration over the influx of foreign nationals, particularly Israelis, who enter the country as tourists, overstay their visas, and engage in business activities, including ventures deemed illegal by local law.
In one recent case, several young Israelis were arrested at a villa in Ban Sri Thanu on the island of Koh Phangan, known for its beachside bungalows and party culture.
Police said the arrests were part of a wider operation targeting foreign nationals suspected of violating visa conditions. The men, reportedly recently discharged from military service, were accused of holding a drug-fueled party to mark the end of the Gaza war.
Yoav Etiel and Roy Dahan contributed to this report.