Italian tourists insulted Thai people, causing the embassy to apologize

On July 25, the Italian Embassy in Bangkok issued a statement condemning the behavior of a group of young Italian tourists who insulted a Thai woman on the BTS train.

This group of guests includes 6 students and an Italian teacher who came to Thailand as part of a study program organized by the school. During their stay in Bangkok in July, the group used the BTS train to travel and got into an argument with Sugus, 25 years old, a Thai passenger.

Sugus reminded the group of students to keep small talk because they were in a public place. Instead of cooperating, some people in the group responded with insulting words and gestures, including raising the middle finger (swearing) and saying: “Sorry we brought money to your country.”

Passengers on the same trip recorded a video of the argument and spread it on social networks on July 24, attracting millions of views, making many Thais angry. Many comments commented that the student group’s statements showed disdain for the host country and lack of respect for public behavior culture.

In the announcement, the Italian Embassy in Bangkok also expressed regret over the incident and apologized to the Thai people and those affected. The agency emphasized that Italians also promote values ​​such as respect, courtesy and harmonious coexistence, standards that are highly valued by Thai society.

The embassy also posted a video recording the scene of four students bowing according to Thai protocol and apologizing to the public. A student shared that “money cannot buy respect” and apologized for damaging the country’s image and insulting the Thai people.

After Sugus reported to the police, 5/6 students were fined 1,000 baht (nearly 800,000 VND) each for insulting others. Particularly, students with rude gestures will be fined 2,000 baht (1.6 million VND), and will be charged with inappropriate behavior in public.

On July 25, the two sides met at Samrae police station to reconcile. During the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, the group of Italian guests took turns clasping their hands in a wai style, a traditional Thai greeting ritual, and apologized to Sugus.

According to the agreement, the two sides will remove all related photos and videos from their phones and social network accounts, and will not continue to pursue legal proceedings.