Italian students who sparked outcry for bad behaviour on Bangkok train apologise following fines

Five Italian students and their supervisor have apologized to a Thai woman, identified as Sugus, following an incident of disruptive behavior on a Bangkok BTS train. The students were subsequently fined by police, and both parties have agreed to settle the matter without further legal proceedings.

The dispute began when the group of students exhibited loud and inappropriate conduct on the train. When Sugus politely intervened, she was met with rude language and gestures, including a middle finger, and the offensive remark, “Sorry that we brought money to your country.” This exchange sparked significant anger among Thai social media users, prompting Sugus to file a police complaint.

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Sorry that we brought money to your country.

Investigators facilitated a meeting between the students, their supervisor, and Sugus at the Samrae Metropolitan Police Station. During the hour-long meeting, attended by an interpreter, the students and their supervisor expressed sincere regret, acknowledged their behavior was inappropriate, and offered a formal apology. Sugus later shared a video on TikTok showing the group performing a wai gesture and apologizing.

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I apologize to you, to all Thai people and to your family.

In the video, Sugus asked if they were apologizing to her, and one of the women replied, “I apologize to you, to all Thai people and to your family.” The group agreed to delete any photos or videos of the incident from their devices and social media. Sugus stated she would also remove images of the Italian group as part of the agreement. She also secured an assurance that the Italian side would not pursue legal action against her for defending herself.

Police fined five of the students 1,000 baht each for insulting another person. The individual who made the middle-finger gesture faced an additional charge for public indecency, resulting in a total fine of 2,000 baht. Sugus noted that while the fines might seem lenient, she respected the police's discretion. She believed that those who admit wrongdoing and apologize should be given a second chance, emphasizing that her complaint aimed to protect her rights and remind visitors to respect Thai culture and etiquette.

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She has sincerely apologised to me.