BTS drama: Italian students and their chaperone apologized to the victim, admitted wrongdoing and inappropriate conduct. Police issued fines, and the victim requested to end the matter and urged society to stop harassment.
On 25 Jul 2026 GMT+7, reporters said the BTS Skytrain dispute that sparked online criticism has been resolved. The Italian students and their chaperone met the victim at Samre Police Station to apologize and clarify misunderstandings, admitting inappropriate behavior. Police imposed fines under the law. The victim and family forgave them and asked society to stop harassing the student group, who are scheduled to continue their study tour in Thailand.
Last evening at Samre Metropolitan Police Station, Ms. Sugus, the victim involved in the BTS Skytrain dispute with Italian students—whose video went viral on social media—filed a complaint against five Italian youths and one chaperone, totaling six individuals, on related charges.
Subsequently, investigators summoned all six accused individuals, along with an additional chaperone and an interpreter, to meet the victim for reconciliation talks around 22:30. The discussion lasted over an hour.
During the talks, the Italian students and chaperone expressed regret and sincerely apologized to the victim, admitting their conduct was inappropriate. Both sides agreed to end the dispute without pursuing further legal action. They also consented to delete all photos and videos of the incident from their phones and social media.
The student group's chaperone expressed sorrow over the incident, affirming that the students respect Thai culture and traditions. He said they would take this event as a lesson to prevent similar occurrences and acknowledged that all five youths and the chaperone seen in the video recognized their mistakes.
Ms. Sugus, the victim, said she recognized the sincerity and remorse of the other party and believed those who admit fault and apologize deserve a chance. She emphasized that filing the complaint aimed to protect her rights and dignity and to remind visitors to Thailand to respect Thai rights, culture, and social etiquette. She asked for the matter to be considered closed.
Mr. Praphat, the victim's father, explained to the other party Thai cultural norms and manners during the talks. He thanked the public for supporting his family and asked society not to harass or criticize the Italian students, as they have shown remorse and still have several days remaining in their educational activities in Thailand.
Initially, investigators charged five accused individuals with "public insult" and fined each 1,000 baht. One person shown giving the middle finger in the video faced an additional charge for "conduct causing public embarrassment." This person was fined a total of 2,000 baht. The case proceeded legally and the dispute was officially resolved.