Man charged after spy cams found in women's bathrooms at Australian embassy in Bangkok

A former staffer at Australia's embassy in Bangkok has been charged after multiple spy cameras were found in women's bathrooms at the mission, a Canberra official said on Saturday.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that Royal Thai Police had arrested a local former staff member last month.

"The welfare and privacy of all staff remains a priority for the department and we continue to provide appropriate support," a department spokesman said in a statement to AFP.

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The spokesman declined to comment further on the ongoing legal matter.

Khemmarin Hassiri, commander of the foreign affairs division of the Royal Thai Police, said that the Australian embassy filed a complaint against a man on January 6. Thai police said the investigation was ongoing.

It's unclear how long the cameras had been in the bathroom, with the matter only coming to light after a camera SD card was found on the bathroom floor last year, according to a report by ABC Australia.

The incident represented a serious security breach, an Australian defence and foreign policy expert told AFP.

"If security was lax enough to allow devices like cameras to be installed anywhere within a secure area, it suggests it's not tight enough to keep the embassy secure," Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University, said.

Agence France-Presse