The Italian Embassy in Bangkok has issued a public apology after video footage of a group of unruly teenage tourists arguing with a Thai commuter on the BTS Skytrain went viral over the weekend.
The footage, filmed on Friday, showed a Thai woman confronting a group of young Italians for shouting loudly inside a train carriage. She told them the behaviour was inappropriate and not typical in Thailand, prompting the group to respond with rude gestures and profanity.
One member of the group directed a pointed remark at the woman.
“Sorry for bringing money to your country.”
Both sides continued to trade insults before the group disembarked.
Embassy responds
The Embassy of Italy released a statement on Saturday in Italian, English and Thai, expressing regret and saying it strongly condemned the group’s conduct.
According to the embassy, the tourists involved were minors taking part in a school educational trip. It said their behaviour did not reflect Italian values or the long-standing friendship between Italy and Thailand.
The embassy’s Facebook page was soon flooded with angry comments from Thai social media users. Unrelated posts on the same page also drew more than 10,000 comments before the embassy disabled its comment function entirely. Some users redirected their anger toward the social media accounts of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Teens apologise on camera
In a follow up video posted to the embassy’s page, four of the Italian tourists, including one seen in the original clip, offered a wai and apologised directly to the Thai public.
“We are very sorry to the people of Thailand because what we did on the BTS was wrong.”
One of the teenagers added that he was sorry for his behaviour.
The group’s tour operator, TravellingFox, also issued an apology, saying the trip was designed to let students experience a new culture and develop respect and openness toward their host country.
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