Italian students' Bangkok subway insults draw 16 million views and official embassy apology

The incident

A group of Italian students travelling on a BTS train in Bangkok became the centre of a viral uproar after a video showed them shouting, insulting a female passenger and making obscene hand gestures. The confrontation began when a woman asked them to lower their voices, a request met with provocative replies. One teenager said, “Sorry for bringing money to your country,” while another raised a middle finger toward the camera. According to the footage shared on TikTok and other platforms, the group continued to strike the windows and make offensive signs even after leaving the train.

The students were part of a school trip organised by Travlling Fox, a company that arranges educational travel for children of Italian public employees with INPS backing.

Viral outrage

By 25 July the video had reached at least 16 million views across TikTok, X and Facebook, and had been broadcast on Thai television. Thai users flooded the Italian embassy’s Facebook page with more than 11,000 overwhelmingly negative comments within hours, demanding an investigation. The embassy was forced to close the comments space. Some social media users published the students’ names, photographs and even their itinerary, while a few went to their hotel to confront them.

Embassy response

Confronted with a diplomatic incident, the Italian Embassy in Bangkok posted an official statement on Facebook on 25 July, in Italian and English. The communiqué expressed deep regret and firm condemnation of the group’s conduct.

The Italian Embassy in Bangkok expresses its profound regret for the event reported in a video shared on social media, firmly condemning the inappropriate behavior of a group of underage Italian tourists on a school trip. The Embassy offers its sincere apologies to the Thai people and to all those involved in this incident. Italians deeply understand and appreciate the values that Thai society attaches to respect for others, courtesy, and harmonious coexistence, values that are equally cherished and upheld by the Italian Republic.

Apology video and tour operator

The embassy also released a video on 25 July showing four members of the group, three adult chaperones and the teenager who uttered the contested phrase, performing the traditional Thai Wai greeting with joined hands and a bow. One of the adults said the student would soon be sent home by his family.

We make this video to apologize to the Thai people and Thai culture.

The tour operator Travlling Fox separately issued a public apology, stating that the behaviour of some participants did not reflect its values and expressing respect for Thailand and its people.

Lingering tensions

While some Thai commentators accepted the apologies, others shared mocking videos such as breaking spaghetti before cooking or praising pineapple pizza. The woman who filmed the original altercation had faced insults and an obscene gesture, and local reports suggested the incident could still lead to legal complaints with Thai police.