Tattooed South Korean man arrested in Thailand over Facebook sex video livestream

Thai police have arrested a South Korean man in his 30s suspected of livestreaming sexually explicit footage on Facebook in a case that caused widespread outrage across Thailand last month. A large quantity of drugs was also found in his hotel room at the time of the arrest.

Thai immigration police raided a luxury hotel room in Pattaya on Tuesday to execute a search warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court, according to local outlets Khaosod and Thai Examiner. Officers arrested the South Korean suspect, identified only by the pseudonym A, at the scene on suspicion of operating a Facebook account that distributed adult content.

A is accused of posting videos of himself having sex with a Thai woman on social media. The content was reportedly broadcast via Facebook Live between May 23 and May 24, drawing a wave of complaints from users across Thailand who said they had encountered the explicit material and sparking a broader social controversy.

Investigators launched a search for the account operator immediately after the incident. After roughly a month of investigation, they identified and arrested the suspect in Pattaya. A reportedly admitted during initial police questioning to having posted the videos.

Police also seized drugs during the search of the room. The confiscated items reportedly included 21.36 grams of methamphetamine, 304.32 grams of ketamine, 296 ecstasy tablets and nine inhalation pods. Thai police said they are expanding their investigation into the drug supply chain and any links to other criminal activity.

A faces charges of illegally distributing obscene data and disseminating pornographic material. He is also under investigation on charges of possessing Class 1 and Class 2 narcotics with intent to sell.

Meanwhile, the case has also ignited a debate over platform responsibility, as the illegal sexual content streamed through Facebook Live for a period before being taken down. Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society called on Meta to explain why the content was not removed immediately.

Meta subsequently said in an official statement that sexually explicit content violates its community guidelines. The company said it had removed the content in question and taken action against the associated account.