Get you up to speed: Italian school forced to apologise to whole of Thailand for bad behaviour | News World
A group of Italian students was involved in an incident of disrespect towards a Thai woman, Sugus, on a BTS Skytrain in Bangkok. Following the altercation, the students apologised to Sugus at a police station, while four were charged with public insult and fined.
Four of the Italian students involved in the incident were charged with public insult and each fined 1,000 baht, while a fifth student received a fine of 2,000 baht. The Italian Embassy in Bangkok issued a statement expressing deep regret over the incident and noted that the students will undergo further lessons on cultural respect.
The Italian embassy in Bangkok has expressed “deep regret” over the students’ “inappropriate behaviour” and extended sincere apologies to the people of Thailand. Four students were charged with public insult and fined 1,000 baht, while the group will undergo further cultural respect lessons.
What remains unclear — It is unclear whether the students will face additional consequences beyond fines and cultural lessons.
Italian students apologise to Thailand for disrespectful behaviour on train
A group of Italian students has been made to apologise to all of Thailand after humiliating a woman on a train in Bangkok.
The students were talking loudly on the BTS Skytrain when local woman Sugus asked them to quieten down.
After telling them they needed some manners, Sugus eventually snapped: ‘Shut the f**k up.’
One of them told her, ‘Sorry for bringing money to your country’, prompting her to say they did not have any manners.
Despite their behaviour, Sugus tried to help when the students said they were unsure where they were going.
One of them responded with: ‘Your mum’.
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The group of Italian students clashed with a Thai woman over their rude behaviour (Picture: @1234aaawry)
As the confrontation continued, members of the group began filming Sugus while laughing and pointing at her.
After several minutes, another passenger stepped in and said they were going to call the police.
The incident led to an apology from the Italian embassy to all of Thailand. Sugus then went to the police because she wanted them to say sorry to her personally.
She said: ‘No one else could fully understand what I went through that day – the fear, humiliation, emotional pain, and the feeling that my dignity had been taken away.
‘At that point, there had still been no apology that made me feel I had received justice.’
Their chaperone was also made to apologise to Sugus for their behaviour (Picture: @1234aaawry)
Sugus filmed a second clip at Samre police station that shows the group of five students lined up on a sofa next to their chaperone. All six take it in turns to put their hands together and say ‘I’m sorry’ directly to her.
She added: ‘I believe that if we do not stand up for ourselves, it may lead those who have done wrong to believe that such behaviour is acceptable. The truth is that no one deserves to be insulted, discriminated against, or harassed, regardless of their nationality.’
One student representative said: ‘I’m personally extremely sorry for what has happened. I perfectly know that money can’t buy respect, and I’m really sorry for all the people offended and for having offended Thai culture.’
The Italian Embassy in Bangkok said it ‘expresses deep regret’ over the ‘inappropriate behaviour’ of the children.
The five students were lined up in a police station and made to apologise (Picture: @1234aaawry)
It continued in a statement: ‘The embassy extends its sincere apologies to the people of Thailand and to everyone affected by this incident.
‘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.’
Four of the students were charged with public insult and fined 1,000 baht (£22.34), while a fifth was fined 2,000 baht after sticking his finger up at Sugus as he left the train.
The students are also set to undergo further lessons on cultural respect.
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