BANGKOK: The Italian Embassy in Bangkok has issued an official statement condemning a group of Italian teenagers and offering a sincere apology to the Thai public following a viral altercation on the BTS Skytrain.
In a trilingual statement released on its official Facebook page at approximately 11.30am on Saturday (July 25), the embassy expressed "deep regret" and strongly denounced the disruptive actions of the underage tourists, who were visiting Thailand as part of a school educational trip.
"The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok expresses its deep regret over the incident and strongly condemns the inappropriate behaviour of a group of Italian underage tourists participating in a school educational trip, as shown in a video circulated on social media," the official statement read.
"The Embassy extends its sincere apologies to the people of Thailand and to everyone affected by this incident. Italians deeply understand and appreciate the values that Thai society places on respect for others, courtesy, and harmonious coexistence—values that are equally cherished and upheld by the Italian Republic."
The embassy stressed that the teenagers' actions did not reflect the Italian populace, nor did they represent the "mutual respect, friendship, and courtesy" forming the bedrock of diplomatic and cultural ties between Italy and Thailand.
The public outcry began after a Thai woman posted a video on Thursday (July 23), depicting her attempt to ask the noisy group of youths to quieten down on a BTS train.
Instead of complying, the teenagers responded with rude and aggressive behaviour. The clip quickly went viral across Thai social media, igniting widespread anger over public etiquette and prompting online users to inundate the Italian Embassy's Facebook page with demands for an investigation.
The educational trip operator also issued a statement apologising for the incident, acknowledging that the brief clip depicted behaviour completely contrary to the core values the organisation has promoted for years.
Accompanying the embassy's written statement on Saturday was a 95-second video featuring four student representatives offering a direct apology to the Thai public.
In the video, the representatives admitted they had initially intended to address the situation on Friday, 24 July, but hesitated out of anxiety and fear. Recognising that delaying their response was a mistake, they pleaded for forgiveness from the Thai people.
"I'm personally extremely sorry for what has happened," one student representative said. "I perfectly know that money can't buy respect, and I'm really sorry for all the people offended and for having offended Thai culture."
Another representative added in Thai and English: "I'm very sorry to all Thai people because of what we did on the BTS train. That was wrong, and I apologise for my actions and the actions of our group."
A third representative speaker clarified that they did not condone the behaviour, confirming that the teenagers involved would be sent back to Italy as quickly as possible. The representative pledged that the students would undergo further guidance to ensure strict respect for local cultures in the future, ending with a plea for the Thai community's forgiveness.
Seperately, Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan had warned that making an obscene gesture or using derogatory language could constitute an offence under Thai law if the person targeted considers the conduct insulting or humiliating.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong was responding on Saturday (July 25) to an incident involving a group of Italian students who allegedly raised their middle fingers and made disparaging remarks while travelling on Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain.
He said the conduct could be considered an offence of insulting another person in their presence if those targeted believed the gestures had demeaned, insulted or harmed them.
The same principle could apply to remarks considered discriminatory towards a person’s race or nationality, he added. Whether an offence had occurred would depend on the circumstances and the wider context of the incident.
He said Thailand and the Royal Thai Police welcomed visitors from all countries, but everyone entering Thailand was required to obey Thai law and respect local culture and traditions.
He also called on government agencies, private organisations and other relevant parties to help foreign visitors understand Thai laws and social customs.
The police spokesman separately warned members of the public against conducting an online witch-hunt targeting the students.
Personal information about members of the group has reportedly been circulated online, while some people have attempted to track them to their hotel and other locations.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong urged the public not to engage in such conduct, warning that anyone whose actions amounted to harassment or breached the law could also face prosecution.
He asked the public to leave the matter to those affected and the police, who would handle the case through the proper legal process.
Although most of those involved were minors, Thai law still allows legal proceedings to be brought against young offenders, Trairong said.
Any punishment would be determined according to their ages, the conditions set out under the law and the circumstances of each case.
Those who believe they were insulted or subjected to discriminatory remarks may file a complaint with police and request legal action, he added. - The Nation/ANN
