A Russian tourist could be imprisoned for a year in Thailand after she broke one of the nation’s environmental laws.
Olga Smirnova was arrested on February 19 after feeding breadcrumbs to fish in Phuket.
The 53-year-old broke the island’s environmental law which prohibits feeding fish around an ecologically sensitive coral reef.
Olga was taken to Chalong Police Station to await a court appearance.
She is currently in police custody as she could not afford to make bail.
Olga was discovered during a routine check by officers from the Phuket Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.
Once arrested, a translator informed her that her actions were illegal and she had broken a law.
“We are taking a very strict stance on this,” a spokesman for the Marine and Coastal Resources said.
“She has to pay the bail and remain in Thailand until her case is processed by a court.”
Thai laws are notoriously strict, however an official from the Russian consulate have said they have not received an official notification of the arrest.
“We managed to talk to officials at the police station where the woman is being kept,” the consulate added.
“The Russian citizen did not have the money needed for bail and that's why she is awaiting trial there.”
While feeding fish would seem rather tame, there are many countries where you can be arrested for something innocuous.
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