Italy has issued a public apology after a group of Italian teenagers on a school trip allegedly insulted a Thai woman on a train in Bangkok. The incident occurred when the woman asked the students to be quieter.
Footage shared on social media depicted the woman on the BTS SkyTrain confronting the group, stating, "In Thailand, we don't scream." After she inquired about their origin, the teenagers reportedly responded mockingly with "Thailand" and then insulted her.
The video also showed a teacher making a sarcastic remark about bringing money to the country and telling the woman to "shut the f*** up," while defending the students as "just children."
The online reaction to the video, which garnered 16 million views, was swift and critical. Social media users expressed dismay, with comments emphasizing that while visitors may bring economic contributions, they should also bring respect and good manners.
Following the public outcry, the Italian embassy in Bangkok released a video featuring three adults and one teenager apologizing for their actions. In the video, one adult stated, "We are the leaders of the Italian group that went viral. We are making this video to apologise to the Thai people and Thai culture." He added, "We wanted to ask for forgiveness for our behaviour to the Thai people and the country."
A woman in the video expressed personal remorse, acknowledging that "money can't buy respect" and apologizing to those offended and for offending Thai culture and people. A young man identified as a teenager also apologized for his behavior on the train, calling it "wrong."
Another adult woman stated that the group did not condone the behavior, announced that the students would be returning to Italy soon, and pledged to retrain the group on respecting local culture. The group concluded by thanking Thailand for its welcome and humbly asking for forgiveness.
The incident led to some individuals identifying the students and targeting their schools' social media pages, while others reportedly gathered outside the students' hotel demanding an apology.