A foreign TikToker faced criticism from Thai netizens after a video showed him arguing with a Thai national park ranger about closing time, while a separate social media user accused him of damaging water pipes at a waterfall.
Videos posted by the foreign TikTok user, @austinwrites_, attracted attention after a Thai Facebook user reposted them in the Facebook group Rose in Wonderland.
The TikToker’s content focuses on natural attractions in Thailand and other countries. His videos feature scenic locations and promote awareness of environmental conservation.
The Thai Facebook user accused the foreigner of ignoring Thai national park rules and damaging water pipes installed at some waterfalls he visited.
The user claimed that some of the pipes could belong to residents who rely on natural water sources because tap water is unavailable in their areas. She said the TikToker had no right to damage or remove the pipes and should instead report any concerns to officials responsible for the sites.
However, no clear evidence confirms that the foreign man damaged or removed the water pipes, as the Facebook user alleged.
Some Facebook users also accused the TikToker of falsely claiming the pipes were used to supply water to artificial intelligence operations and data centres.
One video received particular attention after showing the foreigner discussing the national park’s closing time with a Thai ranger. The ranger attempted to explain that the park closes at 5pm and that the visitors needed to leave.
The foreigner responded that “nature is never closed” and asked the ranger to allow him and his friend to remain for another five minutes. The ranger agreed, allowing the two foreign tourists to take photographs and record videos with the waterfall in the background.
The tourists later recorded a video with the ranger, who did not appear to express anger in the footage.
Some Thai commenters agreed with the foreign visitor’s argument that nature is never closed. They pointed out that national parks and natural attractions in some other countries do not have closing times, although visitors are expected to take responsibility for themselves and accept the associated risks.
Other commenters acknowledged that some countries allow people to visit natural attractions at any time. However, they said Thailand has its own rules and laws, which visitors of all nationalities are required to respect.
The foreign TikTok user had not responded to the online comments at the time of reporting. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the ranger shown in the video had also not issued a response.
@austinwrites_ I never had someone go from yelling at me to wanting a photo together so fast! This park ranger tried to kick us out of the waterfall because it was after hours but we know nature is never closed so I wasn’t having that. I explained we only wanted to chill take some photos then leave and he agreed to let us stay. He totally calmed down and offered to take some photos of the two of us with the waterfall. After that he asked for a picture with all three of us and we had a great convo. What is lacking from people all over the world is nuance and a willingness to compromise with others. I really appreciate him for being awesome and expressing his humanity at work! #drama #humanity #naturelovers #waterfall #hike
@austinwrites_ I’m so happy my videos got millions of people talking about how we need to stop ai from destroying the planet. Now so many more people are educating themselves on how data centers work and what they look like. Myself included. The pipes in my videos turned out to be gravity piping which are used to transport water without electricity. But that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt the environment. Unfortunately, gravity piping disrupts and kills aquatic life, plant life, microorganisms, and changes the natural flow of the water. It also damages the riverbed and has a negative butterfly effect on the entire ecosystem. Humans getting the water they need comes first but there are ways people get freshwater from waterfalls without hurting them and that should be promoted instead. Something else I find important that I haven’t seen mentioned yet is this waterfall park has been abandoned for many years; trails left damaged and overgrown. If these pipes are also abandoned or not allowed we could fully remove them and finally let nature heal. I will keep you posted on any more information I learn and I will be here answering any questions you may have in the comments. I am thankful for all my new followers and for everyone who watched and commented. It’s great to see how many mother earth loving motivated people there really are out there. The next step is we all gotta band together and take down the real data centers. If there is a data center near you or one coming let me know because I want to chainsaw it. I am looking forward to sharing more of my adventures with you and I promise to never stop having fun on here. Have a great day everyone. P.S for legal purposes no pipes were cut in the making of this video 🤫🪚 TLDR: The pipes are not for ai, the waterfall park has been abandoned, the pipes are still bad for the environment, ai is infinitely worse and we need to stop it #nature #water #plumbing #constructionlife #environmentallyfriendly
The story Foreign TikToker sparks debate over Thai national park closing time as seen on Thaiger News.
