A school trip that descended into a confrontation on a Bangkok train has ended with five Italian students being fined and forced to apologise – not just to the woman they targeted, but to the entire nation of Thailand.
The incident unfolded on the BTS Skytrain when a group of students were talking loudly. Sugus, a 25-year-old Thai woman, asked them to quieten down. “They needed some manners,” she later said. One student responded: “Sorry for bringing money to your country.”
“Five Italian students fined and made to apologise to all of Thailand after humiliating a woman on a Bangkok train.”
As the confrontation escalated, members of the group began filming Sugus, laughing and pointing at her. Another passenger threatened to call the police. Sugus then went to the authorities herself. “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,” she said.
A video of the exchange spread online, prompting widespread outrage. The Italian Embassy in Bangkok issued a statement expressing “deep regret” over the “inappropriate behaviour” of the children. It extended “sincere apologies to the people of Thailand and to everyone affected by this incident”.
Police fined four of the students 1,000 baht (£22.34) each for public insult. A fifth was fined 2,000 baht after sticking his finger up at Sugus as he left the train, adding a charge of committing an indecent act in public.
At Samre police station, the students and their chaperone lined up on a sofa and took turns putting their hands together in the traditional Thai “wai” gesture, saying “I’m sorry” directly to Sugus. 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.”
Sugus accepted the outcome but noted the fines were relatively small – police had recommended the 1,000-baht penalty to resolve the matter quickly, despite the law allowing for a maximum of 10,000 baht. Both sides agreed to delete photographs and videos of the incident, and the students cannot later sue Sugus over her response.
The students are also set to undergo further lessons on cultural respect. As Sugus put it: “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.”
