A district chief on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province clarified that a viral video of sexual yoga circulating on Thai social media was filmed in Bali, Indonesia, not in Thailand.
The video, widely shared on May 13, showed three foreign couples engaged in explicit acts, initially claimed to have taken place in a yoga studio on Koh Pha Ngan. The men in the video, reportedly yoga instructors, appeared to engage in activities that seemed more sexual than yogic. Many netizens viewed the practices as being performed for sexual pleasure or orgasm rather than for health-related purposes. Concerns about the appropriateness of the activity led to calls for an investigation and the closure of the business involved.
One Thai man commented that the gestures were a form of yoga designed to treat depression. Another netizen identified the practice as tantric sex, or sexual yoga, which aims at liberation, spiritual or energetic connection, and mindful intimacy between partners. While some netizens found these explanations convincing, others continued to demand an investigation and public disclosure of the findings.
Noppadon Khaomali, the chief of Koh Pha Ngan district, told Channel 3 that he and other officials reviewed the video and determined it was recorded in Bali, Indonesia. He also presented a social media account belonging to one of the yoga instructors in the video, which featured similar yoga practices in Bali.
Noppadon reassured the public that Koh Pha Ngan authorities are vigilantly monitoring foreign behavior on the island and will take action against any inappropriate activities. He referenced the recent arrest of a Polish yoga teacher at the Tantra Movement School in March for operating without a license and offering questionable yoga classes.
