Foreigner and Thai woman get into heated argument on BTS (video)

A video went viral of a foreign man and a Thai woman arguing on the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok after the foreigner almost missed the train because the crowd at the door were reluctant to make space and move inside the carriage.

A Thai woman, Jah, shared the video of the argument on social media and later sent it to news agencies. In an interview with ThaiRath, Jah revealed that she boarded the train at Siam BTS Station with the two people in the video.

The foreign man in the black shirt almost missed the train because some passengers would not step aside, remaining at the door and blocking others from entering. The foreign man managed to get on the train and walked inside, muttering complaints.

According to Jah, the foreign man bumped into the woman in a pink shirt and did not apologise. He asked her to move but his request sounded rude to the woman, sparking the argument. The following exchange was heard:

Foreign man: “Shut the f*ck up! Recording me? I just told you to move onto the f*cking train.”
Thai woman: “Why do you have to use rude words?”
Foreign man: “Shut up! You don’t understand English. It wasn’t rude. I just said get the f*ck out of the way.”
Thai woman: “That’s a rude word.”
Foreign man: “That’s not rude, you don’t understand English!”

Another foreign woman on the train attempted to calm the man down. She was heard intervening, saying, “Excuse me, you are being rude. So, just calm down.”

Foreigner criticised for English insult

The foreign man, who spoke in an American accent but had the look of a Chinese man, responded by saying that the rude people were those who did not let others onto the train. The foreign woman tried to explain that the train was full but the man continued to point out that the space in front of him was enough for six people.

The foreign man and the Thai woman continued to yell at each other before the video ended.

Jah voiced her opinion during the interview with Thai Rath, stating that she understood both sides of the argument from the foreign man and the Thai woman.

The foreigner wanted to get home as fast as possible just like the other passengers on the train, so people should move inside to allow others to board. She also understood the Thai woman, as anyone would be angry if someone bumped into them or swore at them without an apology.

Many Thai netizens pointed out that the foreigner should not insult Thai people about their English language skills if he cannot speak Thai, even though he is in Thailand. Some argued that they have also witnessed foreigners standing at the train door.

Others agreed with the foreign man that many Thai passengers ignore others and always stand at the door for their convenience when getting off.