Police in Surat Thani have arrested three foreigners in separate raids this week for allegedly working without permits on Pha Ngan Island. They include a British woman accused of holding Tantra yoga classes and two Azerbaijani men providing electrical services.
The raids came as police intensify their crackdown on undocumented foreign workers on the island, crowded with foreign tourists.
Maria Shchetinina, 40, the British national, was arrested on November 4 at a restaurant and charged with working without a permit.
She had allegedly been offering Tantra yoga sessions, commonly and locally referred to as ‘sex yoga’, to foreign tourists for a fee of 400 baht per person.
In a similar case, in March 2024, police arrested a Polish YouTuber for offering ‘sex yoga’ classes on the island.
In a separate operation, on November 3, tourist police detained two Azerbaijani nationals, Aflan Almas and Sarkhan Jumshudlu, both 33, for allegedly working as electricians without work permits.
Their arrests followed a complaint from a Thai contractor who accused a local company of hiring foreign workers illegally. Police seized tools, including a power drill, heat gun, light bulbs, sockets and other electrical equipment.
Investigations have revealed that the two men were allegedly hired to install electrical wiring and lighting fixtures at a housing project in Sri Thanu village, in exchange for accommodation and meals.
Police also identified Yevhen Yavenko, a Ukrainian and company director, as the person who allegedly arranged accommodation for the Azerbaijani suspects.
Officials warned that anyone, Thai or foreign, found to have aided or benefited from illegal employment activities faces prosecution.
