Duration: 03:21

A Thai woman was arrested and fined for wearing bikinis to sell watermelons by the roadside. Maneenuch Tipka, 20, wore the revealing swimsuits while holding the fruits and flagging down passing cars in Lampang, northern Thailand. Sales soared and Maneenuch – also a part-time cosmetics seller – also gained hundreds more followers on social media. However, furious cops saw videos of her sexy sales technique and descended on the stall on March 23. Maneenuch was arrested and charged with public obscenity while the market stall owner was fined 500 baht. She said: ‘I didn’t have many followers. So, I needed to increase the number. I had the idea of selling watermelons in my bikini and it was popular. I was surprised by how many people came. I also agreed to pay the fine. It’s a lesson to make content less controversial next time.’ Watermelon stall owner Tawee Tayod, 35, said hundreds of people flocked to his stall after seeing the girl in her bikini. He added: ‘She was only interested in boosting her own profile. When people came, they weren’t interested in my watermelons.’ Pol Col Kraisit Phrompatima, director at Thung Fai Police Station, said: ‘A model, a photographer, and a stall owner were fined. We also went to check whether Maneenuch returned to the stall. ‘She promised the police not to do it again. We were just concerned because it’s not an appropriate manner and the road is connected to the city and busy with cars, which could be distracted by her.’