Pattaya tour boat boss calls tourists ‘animals’ in foul-mouthed tirade
Red-faced operator forced to apologise after viral clip sparks storm
A Pattaya tour boat operator has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after being caught on camera swearing at a boatload of foreign tourists: calling them “animals” in a foul-mouthed rant that’s since gone viral.
The shocking outburst unfolded aboard a Koh Larn Relax tour boat during a snorkelling trip to Koh Sak last Saturday afternoon, and was exposed in a two-minute video posted on the popular Talad Lang Upgrade Facebook page with the caption: “You have damaged the reputation of Thai tourism.”
The clip was uploaded by an outraged tourist who wrote: “I went to Pattaya and was cursed at by people from this boat. She called the tourists ‘animals,’ very rude, and chased them away. There were 23 foreign tourists on the boat.”
Matchicon reporters tracked down the woman in the video, Kanchana, also known as Jae Nong, a 55 year old crew member, who admitted to losing her temper but insisted it was all a misunderstanding.
“I’ve worked with tourists for over 20 years and I’ve never had anything like this happen before. The tourists from another boat were wearing our company’s life jackets, and I told them to take them off. I’m naturally a loud person, and when I talk to Chinese tourists, I speak louder because of the language barrier.
“But what really set me off was when I overheard one of them saying to be careful of their valuables or someone might steal them. I understood it as them implying we were thieves, that’s when I snapped. I admit I was wrong to speak so harshly, and I apologise. I lost control of my emotions.”
Kanit, a company spokesperson, also stepped in to calm the waters.
“Our company has been running for more than two decades, and we’ve never had an incident of theft. In fact, when tourists drop belongings in the sea, our staff dive to retrieve them.”
“Still, we sincerely apologise for the staff member’s inappropriate language. We hope people can be fair and understand both sides.”
Pattaya City officials have now summoned Kanchana to provide a formal statement to the Koh Larn District Office, as officials investigate the incident and assess whether further action is necessary.
Tourism chiefs are scrambling to contain the fallout as the clip continues to circulate online, drawing heavy criticism from netizens who say the reputation of Thai hospitality is at stake.
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