The incident involving Italian youths verbally abusing a Thai woman on the Bangkok MRT continues to escalate. Italian media outlet Il Post has revealed that this group of youths were not ordinary tourists; they are all children of civil servants, and were subsidized to participate in an overseas study program organized by the company Travelling Fox.
According to reports, this itinerary was specifically designed for children of Italian civil servants and received official funding from the Italian National Social Welfare Institute. With the exposure of the incident, public scrutiny widened from merely tourists' misconduct to the oversight and responsibility of publicly subsidized educational programs.
The incident swiftly triggered strong backlash in Italy, with mainstream outlets following-up continuously, describing the event as a “national disgrace.” Leading agencies such as ANSA and Sky TG24 harshly criticized the teenagers’ behavior, stating that their actions were not only inappropriate but could also damage Italy’s international image.
According to multiple foreign media reports, the incident took place in a Bangkok BTS train carriage, where a group of high school students from Agrigento Province, Sicily, allegedly provoked, insulted, and made inappropriate gestures toward a 25-year-old Thai female passenger.
Viral online videos show the students seemingly making arrogant remarks such as “we give money to your country,” which sparked furious reaction online, with the related video quickly surpassing 14 million views.
Facing public pressure, Italian society has not chosen to shield the students. Mimmo Turano, Sicily’s Regional Superintendent for Education and Vocational Training, publicly expressed shock and regret, and confirmed he had reported the incident to Giuseppe Valditara, the Minister of Education and Merit.
The Italian National Union of Human Rights Teachers also issued a statement saying that when diplomatic institutions must intervene and dissociate themselves from student behavior, the situation is no longer merely a case of unruly youths, but a serious warning concerning the education system, core values, and the nation’s reputation.
To defuse the situation, the Italian Embassy in Thailand then issued a statement in three languages, expressing regret over the incident and strongly condemning the actions of the involved students, emphasizing that these behaviors do not represent the values held by most Italians.
The embassy also released a video in which four of the students involved apologized to the people and culture of Thailand. One student who had made discriminatory remarks admitted, “Money can’t buy respect.” The involved students are now being arranged to return to Italy as soon as possible.
Legally, Thai police fined each of the students 1,000 baht according to applicable regulations. One student, who made an obscene middle-finger gesture, received an additional 1,000 baht fine for inappropriate behavior in public, totaling 2,000 baht.
After the fines were paid, the case was closed according to legal procedures. The Thai female victim later stated that, although such behavior could incur a maximum fine of 10,000 baht, she felt that the students had sincerely expressed remorse during their apologies, and so decided to give them a chance to correct their mistakes.