Italian Teen Group Apologizes to Thailand for BTS Misconduct
An Italian youth group apologized for misconduct on Bangkok's BTS that sparked viral outrage, with the Italian Embassy condemning the school-age tourists' behavior and pledging stricter cultural education for those involved.
Representatives of an Italian youth group apologized to Thai people for their actions, saying what they did on the BTS was wrong and expressing sincere remorse. They acknowledged that money cannot buy respect. On July 25, 2025, the Embassy of Italy in Bangkok issued a statement condemning the inappropriate behavior of Italian tourists—school-age youth on an educational trip—whose actions appeared in a viral social media video. The embassy offered sincere apologies to all Thai citizens and anyone upset or concerned by the incident.
The embassy emphasized that Italians deeply respect and admire Thai society's values of respect for others, courtesy, and harmonious coexistence—values Italy shares equally. The embassy stressed that the youths' inappropriate behavior does not represent the Italian people as a whole and cannot be taken as reflecting the values of mutual respect, friendship, and humble courtesy that form the foundation of long-standing Thailand-Italy relations.
The embassy released a video apology from four Italian representatives. A man in a white shirt stated: "We are representatives of the Italian group that went viral on the internet. We made this video to apologize to Thai people and Thai culture. We intended to speak yesterday but delayed due to anxiety and fear, which we now recognize was a serious mistake. We sincerely apologize to all Thai people and Thailand for what we did."
A woman in a red shirt said: "I feel deeply sorry for what happened. I understand that money cannot buy respect. I am truly sorry for everyone affected, including disrespect to Thai culture and all Thai people."
A young man in black apologized profusely to all Thai people, saying what they did on the BTS was wrong and asking forgiveness for his and their actions. A woman in white stated: "We do not support these students' behaviors. Those involved will return to Italy as soon as possible, and we will educate our group to strictly respect culture again. Thank you for welcoming us, and we ask for your forgiveness."
