Happy ending! Group of Italian students apologizes to victim over BTS skytrain drama, admits wrongdoing and pays comparative fines — victim pleads for harassment of all parties to stop
Following the argument aboard a BTS Skytrain that went viral and sparked widespread criticism online, five Italian students and one chaperone traveled to Samre Police Station to apologize to the victim and clear up misunderstandings, before both sides agreed to settle the dispute together.
Yesterday (25 Jul.), investigating officers invited all six accused, accompanied by an interpreter, to meet with the victim, Ms. Sukas, who had previously filed a formal complaint over the incident. The discussion lasted more than one hour.
During the negotiations, the group of Italian students and their chaperone offered their apologies to the victim, expressed remorse, and acknowledged that their behavior had been inappropriate. The victim accepted the apology after recognizing the sincerity and genuine contrition of the other party, and decided not to pursue the case further. Both sides also agreed to delete photographs and video clips recording the incident, as well as content that had been shared on social media.
Ms. Sukas stated that her reason for filing the complaint was to protect her own rights and dignity, and to make visitors to Thailand aware of the importance of respecting the rights, culture, and social etiquette of Thai society. She asked that the matter end here, and appealed to the public to stop harassing all parties involved.
On the legal side, investigating officers charged five of the accused with "face-to-face insult," before settling the matter with a comparative fine of 1,000 baht each. The individual seen in the clip making an obscene middle-finger gesture was charged with an additional count of "committing an act of indecency in public," making two charges in total, and was assessed a comparative fine of 2,000 baht. The cases were then processed according to legal procedure and the dispute was officially concluded.
Nevertheless, reports indicate that the group of Italian students is still scheduled to continue participating in their study-tour activities in Thailand as originally planned.
