updated 2:15 AM EDT, Tue September 24, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Two Thais arrested after Rihanna posts Instagram photo of endangered loris in Phuket
- Illegal to charge tourists money to take photos with the endangered primates
- Rihanna also tweets about visit to bizarre Thailand sex shows
The singer was visiting Phuket for a few days between stops on her Diamonds World Tour, departing on Sunday for Singapore.
During Rihanna's visit she shared many of her experiences on Twitter and Instagram, including a photo of her holding a loris -- an endangered primate native to Southeast Asia.
The Instagram picture,
believed to have been taken at Phuket nightlife hotspot Bangla Road, was
captioned "Look who was talkin dirty to me!" and "liked" by more than
230,000 viewers.
The problem is, it's
illegal for anyone to charge tourists money to take photos with the
endangered primates -- an issue wildlife groups have long been trying to stamp out on the island.
Thai authorities react swiftly
Officials in Thailand quickly went on the defensive when outrage over Rihanna's loris image spread.
The government ordered
the Ministry of Natural Resources and local Phuket officials to urgently
investigate the matter, reported local website Phuketnews.com.
Sunday night, a raid on
suspected touts led to the arrest of two men, aged 16 and 20, who were
taken to a local police station and presented to the media.
"It is very difficult to
do the raids because the touts have spies," Awat Nithikul, leader of
the patrol officers, told The Phuket News.
"If someone hears that
the police are coming their way, there will be a person who calls the
touts and tells them to move. But this is a big deal because it might
affect Thailand's reputation."
The newspaper says the
two arrested touts are waiting to be bailed, and the two lorises in
their possession will be returned to a national park in the nearby
province of Phang Nga.
Rihanna's X-rated experiences
It wasn't just the loris issue that stirred up controversy during Rihanna's visit.
Rihanna's tweets about
her X-rated experiences relating to some of the country's more infamous
tourist attractions also led to red-faced explanations by embarrassed
officials.
According to the Bangkok Post, an English-language daily newspaper, Rihanna's tweets led to one official saying, "Sex shows were completely against the law."
"The authorities and law
officials have surveyed the area to arrest and fine those involved [in
staging sex shows]," he said. "But the shows still happen."
On the flip side, some
of the photos posted during Rihanna's holiday will likely be appreciated
by the local tourism industry -- including multiple shots of her in
bathing suits that show off the area's gorgeous scenery -- given she
does have more than 9.7 million Instagram followers.
SOURCE: CNN
