Maria Shchetinina was arrested in Koh Phangan after she allegedly taught a tantric yoga class in the back of a restaurant, while on leave for another job.
A British yoga teacher has been arrested in Thailand after she allegedly taught tantric sex classes for just £10 behind a popular restaurant.
Thai police said they arrested Maria Shchetinina mid-class while raiding the restaurant in Koh Phangan on November 4. The Briton, 40, was reportedly arrested following a tip-off from a Facebook user who claimed she was offering “sexual yoga” sessions to foreign tourists for 400 baht, around £9.42 per person.
It has been claimed that she was teaching classes as a yoga teacher under the name Maria Sky Love while holding a permit to work as a “customer relations manager”, and police said this invalidated the document.
A flyer purportedly advertising his classes said the classes were held at Ethos Restaurant every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. They allegedly included sexually suggestive movements.
Traditional tantric yoga has erotic and spiritual roots and typically uses sexual contact in a ritual or yogic context. Shchetinina was charged as part of a broader ongoing police crackdown on undocumented foreign workers on the island of Koh Phangan, famous for its annual all-night Full Moon party.
She was heard saying during the arrest: “My lawyer said it’s okay, it’s okay.” She was later accused of performing work that did not appear on her documents. The police confiscated teaching materials, registration tickets, brochures, notes and a poster that included a photo of her and a QR code.
Police Lt. Col. Winit Boonchit said after the arrest that Shchetinina’s alleged behavior “violates” the Emergency Decree on Foreigners’ Labor Management. He said: “The suspect’s behavior violates the Emergency Decree on Foreigners’ Labor Management because working as a tantric yoga instructor is outside the permitted scope of jobs.
“She was charged with working as a foreigner outside the authorized scope and was handed over to the investigation officer at Koh Phangan Police Station for further legal action.”
He added that the raid was carried out by police after social media users reported his racy posts. Koh Phangan is a popular holiday island that has adopted a reputation as a ‘hippie paradise’ thanks to its extensive collection of beaches and retreats, with expat communities drawn to its stunning Thai beauty.
Shchetinina’s arrest comes a few days after police arrested an Israeli couple seen in a viral sex video at the island’s Wang Sai waterfall, Thai news site The Thaiger reported. Suriya Bunphon, the Koh Phangan district chief, ordered the arrest of the unnamed couple after footage of them playing in broad daylight began circulating on social media.
Police, accompanied by immigration officers, arrested the couple at their accommodation on the island and took them to a local immigration office for questioning. Authorities said the two had admitted to the act and now face legal proceedings on charges of committing an indecent act in public.
