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Two of the three teenage girls who danced topless during Songkran festivities have publicly apologised for their conduct.

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Don’t copy us

Two of the three teenage girls who danced topless before a crowd of Songkran revellers on Silom Road last Friday have asked other youngsters not to imitate their conduct.

The two have apologised for their public display of lewdness.

They and their relatives appeared at a news conference at the Metropolitan Police Division 6 yesterday to make a public apology for the dancing seen by many to have hurt the image of Thailand and the Songkran tradition.
The third girl declined to join the conference and remained with her guardians in a police interrogation room.

The two dancers said they felt sorry for what they had done and called on other teenagers not to imitate their lewd conduct. They insisted they were not drunk and had not meant to perform the topless dance until they were incited by the cheering crowds and got carried away.

The dancers’ faces and names have not been revealed for legal  reasons.

Pol Maj Gen Suwat Jaengyotsuk, the division commander, said the girls did not work in a bar but lived at home with their families in Bangkok’s Thon Buri district.

reveller – someone who enjoys themselves at a celebration or noisy party by singing, dancing or by drinking alcohol  ผู้ืที่ออกมาโห่ร้อง เต้นรำเพื่อการเฉลิมฉลอง
youngster – a young person or a child  คนหนุ่มคนสาว,  เด็ก
imitate – to copy someone or something เลียนแบบ
conduct – the way someone behaves, especially in relation to particular rules or accepted ways of behaving ความประพฤติ
apologise – to say you are sorry for doing something wrong or for cause a problem ขอโทษ
public – open to people in general; intended to be seen or heard by people in general อย่างเปิดเผย
display – a performance that is intended to entertain people การแสดง
lewdness – referring to sex in a rude and offensive way ความลามก   
relative – a member of your family ญาติพี่น้อง
appear – to be seen in public ปรากฏตัว
news conference – press conference; an official meeting where someone makes a formal statement about a particular issue or event to journalists and answers their questions about it การแถลงข่าว
metropolitan police – the police in responsible for a city ตำรวจนครบาล
image – an opinion that people have about someone or something ภาพลักษณ์
tradition – a very old custom, belief, or story ประเพณี, ขนบธรรมเนียม
decline – to say politely that you will not accept something or do something  ปฏิเสธที่จะทำ
guardian – a person who is legally responsible for the care of another person, especially a child ผู้ปกครอง
interrogation – asking someone a lot of questions in order to get information การสอบถาม, การซักถาม
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true, even when other people will not believe you ยืนกราน
drunk –  having had too much alcohol to drink, i.e., drunk or intoxicated มึนเมา
incite – to encourage people to be violent or behave improperly by making them angry or exited ยั่วยุ
carried away – to get very excited or lose control of your feelings ว่าวติดลม
reveal – to show or let something become known เปิดเผย
legal – relating to the law or lawyers เกี่ยวกับกฎหมาย
commander – a police offer of high rank ผู้บังคับบัญชา

April 19, 2011

A painting of topless women displayed on the Culture Ministry’s website which has drawn criticism. You can see the replacement below.

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Topless teens fined B500

They weren't drunk. They were just having fun. 

That is what the three teenage girls who danced topless before a crowd of Songkran revellers told police after they surrendered last night.

Last Friday, as a mainly male audience cheered and the trio's festive mood skyrocketed, they took off their shirts and danced topless on a car roof near the intersection of Silom and Narathiwat Ratchanakharin roads.

The three, whose names and faces have not been revealed, appeared at a police station in Thonburi last night.

Yannawa police chief Monchai Sriprasert said the girls "feel embarrassed".

They are aged between 14 and 16 years old, police said, and they were fined 500 baht each on obscenity charges.

Anybody who has distributed video footage of their topless dance over the internet should also face charges, Pol Col Monchai said.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said those who cheered the girls on and urged them to take off their clothes should be considered supporters of the crime, although they will not be prosecuted.

The ministry’s replacement image.

Meanwhile, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombut swiftly ordered the removal of a painting of topless women from the ministry website after speculation that it may have influenced the girls.

The website featured the watercolour painting by Somphop Butrach, depicting three topless women otherwise dressed in ancient Thai garments, welcoming the Thai New Year.

"Sometimes, art and obscenity overlaps," Mr Nipit said. But he said if people considered this painting to be indecent, he was worried that other artistic pictures and statues of topless women could no longer be displayed in public.

"Or maybe we have to buy bras to cover up the Nang Ngueak and Peesua Samut sculptures to prevent obscenity," he said, referring to a topless mermaid and female sea giant from the Phra Apai-manee legendary tale.
 
Adapted from a story in today's Bangkok Post by Lamphai Intathep.

display – to put something in a particular place so that people can see it easily  โชว์, แสดง
criticism – comments that show that you think something is wrong or bad การวิจารณ์
replacement – something that takes the place of something else  การแทนที่, การทำหน้าที่แทน
fine – to be required to pay an amount of money because you have broken the law ปรับเป็นเงิน
drunk –  having had too much alcohol to drink, i.e., drunk or intoxicated มึนเมา
reveller – someone who enjoys themselves at a party or celebration   คนที่ชอบงานฉลอง ความสนุกสนานและงานรื่นเริง
surrender – to give yourself up ยอมจำนน
male – belonging to the sex that does not give birth to babies; connected with this sex  ผู้ชาย, ตัวผู้, เพศผู้,
audience – the people who watch an event happen ผู้ชม
trio – a group of three people กลุ่มที่ประกอบด้วย 3 คน
festive – connected with a festival or celebration รื่นเริง, เกี่ยวกับเทศกาล
mood – the way you feel at a particular time อารมณ์
skyrocket – to increase very quickly ลอยขึ้นสูงอย่างฉับพลัน
intersection – a place where roads, lines, etc., join or cross each other สี่แยก
reveal – to let something become known เปิดเผย
appear – to go somewhere officially because you are involved in something, such as a trial or inquiry ปรากฏตัวอย่างเป็นทางการ
embarrassed – feeling ashamed, nervous, worried or uncomfortable รู้สึกอาย
obscenity –  language or actions connected with sex in a way that most people find offensive ความลามก
charge –  an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อหา
distribute – to give out information to many different places  แจกจ่าย
footage – film or video of a particular subject or event ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
consider – to regard as; to think of as ถือว่า
prosecute – to official accuse someone of a crime and to try to prove them guilty in a court of law ดำเนินคดี ฟ้องร้อง ซักฟอก
meanwhile – at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน
swiftly – happening quickly อย่างรวดเร็ว  โดยด่วน
removal – taking something away การเอาออกจาก
speculation – ideas or discussion about why something has happened or what might happen คาดการณ์ ประเมิณสถานการณ์
influence – to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves or thinks มีอิทธิพลต่อ, ชักจูง อำนาจบังคับ
feature – to include someone or something as an important part มีบทบาทสำคัญใน ทำให้เด่น
depict – to represent or show something in a picture or story พรรณนา, บรรยายให้เห็นภาพ
ancient – very old ที่เก่าแก่ ที่โบราณ
garment – a piece of clothing เสื้อผ้า, เครื่องแต่งกาย
overlap – to cover part of the same area of interest, knowledge, responsibility, etc  ทับกัน
indecent – thought to be morally offensive, especially because it involves sex or being naked หยาบคาย, ที่ไม่เหมาะสม
statues – human or animal images that are made of stone, wood, metal, etc. รูปปั้น
sculpture – a solid object that someone makes as a work of art by shaping a substance such as stone, metal or wood รูปปั้น
mermaid – a creature with a woman's head and body, and a fish's tail instead of legs นางเงือก
legendary – mentioned in stories from ancient times ซึ่งเป็นนิทาน,ซึ่งเป็นตำนาน
tale – story เรื่องเล่า