The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has decided to remove a sign telling tourists not to wear bikinis from Samae San Island, off the eastern province of Chon Buri, to prevent any misunderstanding among foreign tourists that wearing bikinis on the island is prohibited, said Vice Admiral Pokkrong Monthatphalin, spokesman for the RTN today (Friday).

He also explained that the RTN has not banned bikinis from the island, but merely wants to seek the cooperation of visitors by dressing properly and in a way which does not “offend Thai culture”.

The move follows a recent post on the “Quotidien de Thailande” webpage, showing a ‘no bikini’ sign displayed on the beaches of Samae San Island with an English request, “Please respect our culture.”

The second post on the same web page says that the writer understands that the island belongs to the RTN, but some tourists still don’t understand why they should not wear bikini.

Vice Admiral Pokkrong said that the dress code on Samae San Island, as well as at other tourist destinations under the RTN’s supervision, is similar to the restrictions applied in other eco-tourism destinations in Thailand, such as no consumption of alcohol or loud noises which may cause nuisance to others.

He said that, although Samae San Island is open to tourists, overnight stays are prohibited, adding that the RTN merely wants to seek cooperation from visitors by dressing appropriately.

To avoid any misunderstanding, he said he ordered the sign be removed and replaced with one containing more explanatory wording.