An Italian tour operator has issued a public apology after a group of Italian students were filmed misbehaving on the BTS Skytrain, insulting a Thai passenger who asked them to quiet down.
The video, which circulated widely on social media yesterday, July 24, showed a group of Italian students on a school trip to Thailand making noise and disturbing other passengers on the train.
When a Thai passenger stepped in to ask them to calm down, the students responded rudely and made lewd gestures towards the commuter. One student reportedly told the passenger, “sorry for bringing money to your country.”
An argument followed before the group left the carriage, with one student flashing a middle finger on the way out. The clip quickly drew criticism online, with Thai social media users slamming the tourists’ behaviour as disrespectful.
TravellingFox Estate INPSieme, the Italian company that organised the educational trip, responded with a statement on Facebook, saying it was sorry the short clip had painted a picture that did not reflect the values it has promoted for years.
It explained that the group involved was made up of many young students, several of whom are minors, taking part in a study trip designed to expose them to new cultures and international environments, and to build respect and openness towards host countries.
The statement acknowledged that youthful excitement can sometimes spill over into overly rowdy behaviour in public. However, it stressed that this did not excuse any inappropriate remarks or conduct, which it said did not represent the values of the tour organisers or of most of the students on the trip.
TravellingFox said the actions of a few individuals should not be seen as representative of the company or of the majority of students, who it said were experiencing the trip with enthusiasm, curiosity and respect.
The company added that it has brought thousands of students and tourists to Thailand over more than twenty years, describing the country as one it has come to love deeply for its beauty, rich culture and the warmth of its people.
It closed by reaffirming its respect and gratitude towards Thailand and Thai people, and said it would continue promoting travel built on cultural exchange, mutual respect and personal responsibility.
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