Italian Embassy Apologizes for Rowdy Teens on BTS

The Embassy of Italy in Bangkok issued a three-language apology (Italian, English, and Thai) on Saturday to the Thai people and all those affected by the inappropriate behavior of a group of Italian underage tourists on the BTS Skytrain. The incident has sparked heated online discussions after a video went viral. The video, circulated on Friday, showed a Thai commuter confronting the group of young Italians for talking loudly and shouting inside a train carriage. The commuter pointed out that such behavior was inappropriate and not common in Thailand. The situation escalated with rude gestures and profanity exchanged between the parties, including a remark from one of the tourists, "Sorry for bringing money to your country." The tourists eventually disembarked. In its statement, the embassy expressed deep regret and "strongly condemned the inappropriate behavior of the group." It clarified that the individuals in the video were underage tourists on a school educational trip. The embassy emphasized that 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." It also stated that the group's behavior does not represent the Italian people or the mutual respect and courtesy that underpin the long-standing relationship between the two nations. The incident led to an angry backlash on the embassy's Facebook page, with thousands of messages posted. Some outraged Thais also targeted the social media accounts of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Subsequently, a video emerged showing four Italians, including individuals from the original incident, apologizing to the Thai people. "We are very sorry to the people of Thailand because what we did on the BTS was wrong," one teenager said. "I'm very sorry for my behavior." The Italian tour operator, TravellingFox, also issued an apology, stating the trip was designed for minors to discover a new culture and develop respect for the host country.