Students Cause Public Outrage for Making Noise on Bangkok BTS; Italian Embassy in Thailand Issues Apology Video

(Thailand, 26th) A video has recently circulated on Thai social media showing a group of Italian students riding the BTS Skytrain in Thailand, where they were making loud noise and commotion inside the train carriage. A Thai woman, unable to bear it, used English to remind them of BTS etiquette, asking them to speak more quietly. However, upon hearing the advice, the students did not restrain themselves, but instead, emboldened by their numbers, confronted the bystanders who advised them, even giving the middle finger, swearing, and saying, “Sorry, we are here in your country to spend money.”

The related video is 7 minutes long, and after it surfaced, it sparked heated discussion. The online community later uncovered the personal accounts of these Italian students, and someone even found out that they were in Thailand for a cultural exchange program. The responsible travel agency also issued an official statement of apology, stating that many of the individuals in the video are minors, and sometimes, due to momentary excitement, they behave too energetically in public places. However, this cannot justify any inappropriate gestures or behavior."

The Italian Embassy in Thailand released a video statement on the 25th, showing four Italians publicly apologizing to the Thai public for the improper behavior on the BTS. Three identified themselves as the adult leaders of the Italian group, and the fourth was the youth who had been caught showing the middle finger. Each of them expressed their apologies to the people of Thailand.

In the video, the man in a white shirt on the left said they had originally planned to come forward the day after the incident to explain the situation, but delayed their response until today out of worry and fear. In retrospect, he said, this was a grave mistake. On behalf of all involved members, he solemnly apologized for the negative impact caused to the Thai people and Thai society.

The woman in red expressed deep regret over the incident and frankly stated that money cannot buy the respect of others. She sincerely apologized to everyone affected by the incident and to all Thai people and Thai culture who were offended.

The man in black stated that their behavior on the BTS was indeed inappropriate, and he apologized deeply for his own behavior as well as that of his companions, addressing all the people of Thailand.

The woman in white stated that she did not approve of the improper behavior of the students involved, and said that the students in question would return to Italy as soon as possible. At the same time, she would enhance the education of those students, requiring all to strictly respect local culture and social norms. At the end of the video, she thanked the Thai people for their hospitality and earnestly asked the general public for forgiveness.