Bangkok - Thai police early Thursday raided an orgy, arresting 23 people including 16 foreigners for lewd behavior.

Police raided the "swinging party" at the Elizabeth Hotel in Bangkok at 12:15 am Thursday, nabbing 14 foreign men, two foreign women and seven Thai women.

The foreign nationals netted were from Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the US, Tourist Police commander Colonel Archayon Kraithong said.

Police caught several of the participants having group sex in two hotel rooms and found used condoms, lubricant gel, porno books and CDs and 30 Viagra pills.

The party goers were freed after being charged 1,000 baht (29 dollars) for lewd behaviour, but British national Christian Arthur Richards, 54, and his Thai wife face more serious charges and a possible ten years in prison for advertising and procurement for sex parties.

Richards and his wife are under investigation for organizing as many as 100 orgies in Thailand over the past four years.

"This was not the first time we tried to catch them," said Archayon. "We have been following their activities for a long time but it wasn't easy to nab them because they changed the venues often, sometimes holding parties in Pattaya, Bangkok or Chon Buri."

Prostitution, although widespread in Thailand, is illegal. (dpa)