Thai fashion police ban skimpy tops

Thai fashion police ban skimpy tops

Songkran is normally a rowdy affair

Scantily-clad women have been banned from taking part in Thailand's Songkran water festival this weekend.

Bangkok's Metropolitan Authority (BMA) has ordered women in 'spaghetti-strap or strapless tops' to stay away.

If they break the rules, they will be asked to leave the festivities, which will be monitored by police and city monitors.

Thai women have been embracing revealing fashions in recent years, having turned their backs on traditional modest apparel such as the sarong.

We want to create a good image of the country

Uraiwan Thienthong, Culture Minister

The Songkran new year festival, traditionally a rowdy celebration involving water fights, occurs at the hottest time of year in Thailand.

The BMA says that it wants the festival to highlight Thailand's cultural heritage in its celebrations.

"If we find any women wearing spaghetti-strap blouses, we will ask them to leave the water-throwing areas," said city clerk Nattanon Thaweesin.

Thailand's Culture Minister Uraiwan Thienthong said that the ban was part of a government campaign against revealing clothes.

"We want to create a good image of the country," she said.

Officials in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second city, have also banned spaghetti-strap tops.

However, they went further and included 'hot pants' in the ban.

Chiang Mai's mayor, Boonlert Buranupakorn said that he has asked police to lecture women if they were wearing "improper clothing" and tell them to get changed.