Scot among group arrested in Thailand's sex capital

A 42-year-old Scot has been arrested in the notorious Thai resort of Pattaya.

Gavin John Laidlaw, 42, from Edinburgh, was arrested with two Thai women, according to reports last night. Two other foreigners, David Hill, 31, from Australia, and Patric Jose, 52, from France, were arrested at other locations. All the women are believed to have been involved in the local sex industry.

The men were paraded along with the women and some ten other Thais by Pattaya Police yesterday in what they said was a crackdown on vice in the city - Thailand's notorious sex capital - before a Buddhist holiday.

Police Colonel Natthawut Suwanla-ong said that in the crackdown his offices had seized 20 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 20 grams of cocaine, 100 pills of Ya-Ba, a methamphetamine, an unspecified amount of marijuana, drug-using paraphernalia, and various sex toys.

Thailand has the death penalty for possession of 20 grams or more of Ice, cocaine, or 'Yaa Baa', but, in the case of foreigners, this has always been reduced to life imprisonment.