Italian embassy & students apologise for insulting & rowdy behaviour on Bangkok train

The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Italian students involved in an incident where they were rowdy on a train in Bangkok, have apologised to the Thai public.

This was after a group of Italian teenagers were filmed speaking loudly and behaving inappropriately towards a fellow commuter, a Thai local, on the BTS Skytrain.

Train incident

A video of the incident circulated widely online.

Khaosod English reported that it has attracted over 15.4 million views on X alone.

The video, which was posted by a Thai woman on Jul. 23, showed her attempting to ask the teenagers to quieten down.

However, they reacted rudely.

A boy was seen gesturing by raising a middle finger.

One comment caught on video included: "Sorry that we brought money to your country".

Commuters on the BTS Skytrain typically keep their volumes down as a form of respect and mindfulness for others in an enclosed public space.

Apologies

The video triggered widespread anger among Thais, with the woman involved later filing a police report.

In response to the public outcry, the Italian embassy in Bangkok apologised via a trilingual Facebook statement on Jul. 25.

It criticised the behaviour of the underage tourists who were in Thailand participating in a school educational trip.

The statement read: "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 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 statement added.

It also emphasised that their "inappropriate behaviour" did not in any way represent the Italian people, nor did it "reflect the values of mutual respect, friendship, and courtesy that have long formed the foundation of the enduring relationship between the Italian Republic and the Kingdom of Thailand".

The embassy also released a separate video of four representatives apologising directly to the Thai public.

Admitting that they had initially intended to address the situation on Jul. 24, they explained that they postponed it as they were "worried" and "scared".

They also acknowledged that it was a "wrong decision" to delay apologising for the incident and pleaded for forgiveness from the Thai people.

One representative said: "I'm personally extremely sorry for what has happened."

"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 said they did not condone such behaviour, noting that the teenagers involved in the incident would be sent back to Italy as soon as possible.

The students involved would also undergo further guidance to ensure strict respect for local cultures in the future, a representative added.

Charges, another chance

The Nation Thailand reported that the group of teenagers and their supervisor later met the woman at the station with an interpreter present.

A video posted by "1234aaawry" on TikTok showed them individually apologising for their behaviour.

One woman said: "I apologise to you, to all Thai people and to your family."

Both sides then reportedly agreed to delete photos and videos of the incident.

Police charged five of the six with insulting another person in their presence and fined each 1,000 baht (S$38), The Nation Thailand reported.

The individual seen making the middle-finger gesture in the video faced an additional charge of committing an indecent act in public, and a 2,000 baht (S$76) fine.

Even though the Thai woman felt the amount might not be a severe punishment for the group, she said she respected the officers' decision.

She also recognised the sincerity and remorse behind the apology and believed those who admitted wrongdoing and apologised should be given another chance.