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Doug Thompson, Marketing Manager for Utopia Tours, has responded to media reports of the raid on their offices last Friday. The statement issued today attempts to clarify the situation given the fairly sensational coverage in the local and international media.

In the statement the details of the raid and resulting charges were outlined:

"Our offices in the Tarntawan Place Hotel and the CCT Building in Bangkok were raided by Thai law enforcement authorities on Friday, 19 March 2004. Computers and files were removed. Except for our female bookkeeper, everyone who was in the office at the time was detained."

"Virtually all of the items removed from our offices at that time were returned later that same day."

"Following a news conference staged by Thai immigration police on Saturday morning, 20 March, four Thai newspapers published separate accounts of the incident. All of these stories included serious inaccuracies and some were filled with total fabrications. The articles related that a variety of very damaging charges had been filed when in actuality no charges had yet been brought against anyone at the time of the news conference."

"Later on Saturday, Robert Scoble, an Australian national, was charged with cooperating in the trade of obscene materials."

"In addition, a management trainee was charged with a work permit violation, and one of our other partners was also taken into custody for a work permit technicality (later dropped) but was subsequently charged along with Mr. Scoble. We do not believe that there is any evidence to implicate this partner and that he will be absolved of any wrongdoing in court. We believe that the raid on our company was entirely due to an investigation of charges against Mr. Scoble which were raised by the Australian embassy in Bangkok and that our other staff and partners were unfortunately swept up into this inquiry."

"A number of allegedly obscene items were found in Robert Scoble's home. We have not seen these so it would be totally inappropriate for us to comment on them. However, Mr. Scoble has acknowledged in writing that all questionable items held by the police were found in his home and that no such items were found in our offices. Mr. Scoble has resigned from all positions he held within the company."

"Our company has neither been accused nor charged with any crime whatsoever. We are open for business as usual and there has been no interruption in customer service."

"Those who know us personally or have been our customers know that offering positive alternatives to sex tourism is the very foundation of our business. We are not now nor have we ever been involved in prostitution, pairing of our customers with local hosts or hostesses, or in the exploitation of children in any way."

"We are extremely grateful for the supportive email and offers of help we have received from our many friends in Thailand and abroad. We thank you for thinking of us at this difficult time. We look forward to a speedy resolution of the legal matters resulting from this incident."