First insults and provocative gestures, then public apologies after the intervention of the Italian embassy. A video that went viral on social media shows a group of young Italian students “on a school trip” aboard Bangkok’s metro, the BTS Skytrain, in Thailand. In the footage, the students shout and laugh among themselves, making noise and disturbing other passengers in the carriage.
A female passenger pointed out that their volume was too loud and disruptive. Sitting opposite the students, she tried to start a conversation and asked where they were from. The responses were provocative: some laughed, others ignored her, and one replied irreverently, “We are Thai” and “We’re sorry we brought money to your country,” as heard in the video that went viral on TikTok and sparked controversy. Provocative gestures directed at the woman are also visible in the footage.
The video and the incident were then picked up by local newspapers, and within a few hours the Italian embassy’s social media profiles in Bangkok were flooded with thousands of comments from Thai citizens calling for an investigation into what happened.
BTS passenger confronts loud Italian students. A video filmed on Bangkok’s BTS has gone viral after a passenger asked noisy Italian students to lower their volume. The encounter escalated into a heated argument, with insults and rude gestures recorded. The incident prompted discussion about respect in public spaces. #bts #Italian #student #TheNationThailand #นักท่องเที่ยว #อิตาลี #อิตาลีBTS
♬ original sound – The Nation Thailand
The embassy’s statement
On Saturday 25 July, the embassy’s Facebook page published an official statement, shared in Italian, Thai and English, in which it apologized to the “people of Thailand”: “The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok expresses its deep regret for the event shown in a video circulated on social media and firmly condemns the inappropriate behavior of a group of Italian tourists.” According to the embassy, the Italians shown in the video are underage tourists taking part in a school trip.
The embassy offers “its sincere apologies to the people of Thailand and to all those affected by this incident.” It also emphasizes Italians’ respect for the values of Thai society — respect for others, courtesy and harmonious coexistence — values that are equally cherished and upheld by the Italian Republic.
It adds: “The inappropriate behavior of the group of underage tourists in no way represents the Italian people, nor reflects the values of mutual respect, friendship and courtesy that have long formed the foundation of the lasting relations between the Italian Republic and the Kingdom of Thailand.”
Apology video
After further negative comments under the embassy’s statement, a video was shared showing four Italians, including one already seen in the viral footage, apologizing to the people of Thailand for the students’ disrespectful behavior.
“We are very sorry to the people of Thailand because what we did on the BTS was wrong,” says the young man in the video. “I am very sorry,” he adds, “for my behavior.”
They also thank Thailand for the hospitality shown during their short stay. One of the chaperones added that the young man who made the offensive remark “will soon be sent back to Italy.”