Italian Students Fined After 'Sorry for Bringing Money' Insult on Bangkok Skytrain

A group of Italian underage students on a study tour in Bangkok ignited national fury after a video surfaced showing them behaving disruptively on the BTS Skytrain. The students were reportedly shouting, giving the middle finger, and insulting a Thai woman who had asked them to be quiet.

The incident escalated when the students allegedly told the woman, identified as Sugus, "Sorry for bringing money to your country." The video of their behavior went viral, prompting widespread anger among Thai citizens, with some even gathering outside the hotel where the students were staying.

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Sorry for bringing money to your country.

Facing immense public pressure, the Italian Embassy in Thailand issued a multilingual statement emphasizing that the students' actions did not represent all Italians. They also released an apology video from four individuals involved, who cited anxiety and fear as reasons for the delay in their apology. The tour operator, TravellingFox, also apologized, noting the participants were minors on a cultural exchange trip.

Thai police subsequently charged five students and a teacher with insulting others in public and indecent behavior. After negotiations, the students reached a settlement with the victim, agreeing to delete photos and videos and issue a sincere apology. The police fined each student 1,000 Thai baht (approximately $27 USD), with one student facing an additional 1,000 baht fine for indecent behavior, totaling 2,000 baht. The students bowed in apology to the victim, who accepted their remorse and used the incident to remind foreign visitors to respect local culture and rights.

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We apologize for the incident and are deeply sorry for our actions. We were anxious and scared, which is why we delayed our apology.