A retired Frenchman has been arrested for allegedly taking videos of young women relieving themselves in toilet cubicles at department store in Chiang Mai.
The 65-year-old tourist was apprehended shortly after allegedly using a smartphone to video a woman using the toilet on the fourth floor of the department store in downtown Chiang Mai on Tuesday night.
Police searched a bag the man was carrying and found a smartphone containing 12 video clips of different women using the toilet, a camera and a pack of Viagra tablets, Thai media reported on Wednesday.
The victim, an employee at a beauty clinic, told police she screamed for help upon seeing a hand holding a smartphone above her toilet cubicle, apparently making a video recording. Her shout drew friends and others into the restroom.
Security guards were called and arrested the suspect, who was later handed over to police at Mae Ping police station.
The victim demanded 50,000 baht in compensation from the suspect, who agreed to pay. She also asked police to destroy the SIM card in his smartphone, for fear the pictures of her might be leaked.
According to police, the suspect admitted having surreptitiously taken video clips of several women in toilet cubicles at the department store.
He told police he previously worked as an archaeologist. Since retiring he had travelled to many countries and had rented a room at a guesthouse in Chiang Mai for the last six months.