Thai OnlyFans Star Faces Prison Time As Outrage Over Case Grows

A 19-year-old Thai woman with a following on the platform OnlyFans is facing jail time after authorities arrested her and her boyfriend in a case that has gone viral in the country and angered Twitter users demanding the charges be dropped.

Known by her online persona “Kai Nao,” which means rotten egg in Thai, the performer and her boyfriend, Korakot, broke the law by creating and spreading “obscene” content online, Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. If convicted, the couple face up to three years in prison and a fine of about $1,800.

The couple was interrogated for five hours yesterday afternoon, but after heavy criticism from the Thai public, police granted them bail of about $3,000 each, under the condition that they not repeat their offense, according to local media. 

But the case has become something of a cause célèbre in Thailand, with the hashtag #NongKaiNao trending on Thai Twitter this week, as many vented frustration over the treatment of the couple and the gaps in laws that would allow them to pursue their work freely. “Nong,” which means “little sister,” refers to the woman’s relatively young age.

“This country decides to butt in on people’s personal business instead of developing an effective tax system that can include these ‘sex creators.’ They will be able to generate income for the country in an era where government income is insufficient,” tweeted activist Tanawat “Ball” Wongchai on Monday, after authorities warned that they would crack down on “obscene” content online.

He is now calling for the amendment of criminal codes to legally allow creators to produce and distribute adult entertainment without facing criminal charges. He also said the charges should be dropped. 

The arrests come after a stormy few weeks for the immensely popular subscription site, which walked back plans in late August to suspend sexually explicit content after backlash from adult content creators.

Thai police and OnlyFans did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Contact information for the couple was not available. Local media, however, reported that they apologized to the public, adding they did not expect their content to lead to a criminal charge. 

The couple also appeared in an interview with Thai YouTuber Nachat “Nicky” Juntapun that was posted on Monday, where Kai Nao said she wanted people to “see sexuality as something normal.” 

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