Thai woman defends trespass at Yellowstone Park after online criticism

By THE NATION

 

 

A THAI woman has defended her walk around a fragile, off-limits thermal area at Yellowstone National Park in the United States after a video clip featuring her apparent trespass appeared online.

“No, I didn’t violate any rules. Had I broken a rule, I would have received a warning from park officials,” she said in a phone interview yesterday with the Thai Channel 3 Tieng Wan Tun Hetkarn TV programme. 

 

She said she did not think the area was dangerous because the warning sign was very small. 

 

“Had it been dangerous, there would have been a big sign or fence to prevent tourists from going into the area,” she said.

 

The women appeared in a video clip, which was recorded by a non-Thai on July 27 and posted online. 

 

The clip shows several tourists gathered around a small pool, with the last two women leaving seeming not to know the area was dangerous. 

 

While the clip shows a sign posted warning of dangerous conditions, it was relatively small and installed almost at ground level. The sign reads: “Danger. Fragile Thermal Area. Stay on officially marked and maintained trails.”

 

One of the women in the clip even smiled at the camera and said she was Thai. 

 

 

Several netizens have commented that she and her group should have realised that the area was off limits to tourists. 

 

Several Thais have criticised the women online, saying they were embarrassed to see people from their country “acting like idiots”. 

 

Others had a kinder response. “To be fair, that’s a horribly placed sign,” one commentator wrote on the website that posted the clip. 

 

Another said: “There is a bit of a language barrier here and that tiny sign is basically on the ground. I might not have noticed it either.”

 

There were no reports of any of the Thai tourists being arrested.

 

Last year, it was reported that three Canadians were caught trespassing in the ecologically sensitive area. One of them was ordered to pay a US$3,500 (Bt116,410) fine after he pleaded guilty to creating a hazardous condition and walking in a thermal area.

 

Two others pleaded guilty to additional charges for commercial photography without a permit, the use of a drone and riding a bike. They served seven days in jail and each paid a $2,000 fine. 

 

A number of deaths have been reported in the park after people fell in thermal pools.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323908

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-16

haha. crazy but typical Thai rationalization. The sign was small so it couldn't have been dangerous.  Too funny

It seems that none of them can spea inlit...what would they do in case of emergency? They need a tourguide..

She is in the wrong and instead of just remaining quiet and let it blow away quietly, she has to not LOSE FACE and defend her stupidity for the whole world to see. 

 

Catch her and punish her accordingly to the Laws of the Country she broke. 

 

When Farangs break laws in this country, they always catch them in record time.

The sign in the video is small. But there are larger signs are all over the place that you cant possibly miss unless you have your head up your selfie-taking arse.

 

 

 

 

If they had fallen through the thin crust, I'd have thrown them packets of lemon grass, some shrimp and straw mushrooms, chopped hot pepper, a couple limes and a dash of fish sauce.  Dom Yum Thai, sot, sot. 

 

Maybe they need signs pointing down, with a message saying "Hell is this way.  Enter at your own risk."

Hopefully USA still has time to catch these silly people and extract a few bt, just like they do back home day after day

I went through Yellowstone and several other national parks, including the Grand Canyon last April...well before the tourist season was in full swing.   I didn't run into many Thais, but there were quite a few from Mainland China.   

 

Asians in general just don't seem to understand, or feel the need, to follow the rules.  They were constantly littering --throwing cigarette butts all over, driving very fast, and paying no attention to marked trails.    They tried to get dangerously close to large animals to take 'selfies'.   

 

At the Grand Canyon, it was even worse.  There were people from all over the world, but it was the Asians who were in areas clearly marked as off-limits.   One Chinese man had managed to catch a squirrel and other's were feeding them, although signs were posted in numerous languages (including Chinese).   

 

The Park Rangers do give you a small talk as you enter about dangers, staying on assigned trails etc.   

 

A friend from Thailand was along and he was truly horrified at the behavior of many of the people from Asia.   He even asked to go elsewhere because he said he was ashamed to be Asian, the way many were acting.   

 

No petting in the grizzly bear enclosure as well....

1 minute ago, Credo said:

I went through Yellowstone and several other national parks, including the Grand Canyon last April...well before the tourist season was in full swing.   I didn't run into many Thais, but there were quite a few from Mainland China.   

 

Asians in general just don't seem to understand, or feel the need, to follow the rules.  They were constantly littering --throwing cigarette butts all over, driving very fast, and paying no attention to marked trails.    They tried to get dangerously close to large animals to take 'selfies'.   

 

At the Grand Canyon, it was even worse.  There were people from all over the world, but it was the Asians who were in areas clearly marked as off-limits.   One Chinese man had managed to catch a squirrel and other's were feeding them, although signs were posted in numerous languages (including Chinese).   

 

The Park Rangers do give you a small talk as you enter about dangers, staying on assigned trails etc.   

 

A friend from Thailand was along and he was truly horrified at the behavior of many of the people from Asia.   He even asked to go elsewhere because he said he was ashamed to be Asian, the way many were acting.   

 

I ave to add that on my visits to Niagara Falls, the only groups that seemed to go climb and crawl into the beautiful flower gardens there to take selfies and what not were Asians.

5 minutes ago, Credo said:

I went through Yellowstone and several other national parks, including the Grand Canyon last April...well before the tourist season was in full swing.   I didn't run into many Thais, but there were quite a few from Mainland China.   

 

Asians in general just don't seem to understand, or feel the need, to follow the rules.  They were constantly littering --throwing cigarette butts all over, driving very fast, and paying no attention to marked trails.    They tried to get dangerously close to large animals to take 'selfies'.   

 

At the Grand Canyon, it was even worse.  There were people from all over the world, but it was the Asians who were in areas clearly marked as off-limits.   One Chinese man had managed to catch a squirrel and other's were feeding them, although signs were posted in numerous languages (including Chinese).   

 

The Park Rangers do give you a small talk as you enter about dangers, staying on assigned trails etc.   

 

A friend from Thailand was along and he was truly horrified at the behavior of many of the people from Asia.   He even asked to go elsewhere because he said he was ashamed to be Asian, the way many were acting.   

 

Yes chinese are little bit different....look here, this guy doesn't understand the boat.

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Another said: “There is a bit of a language barrier here and that tiny sign is basically on the ground. I might not have noticed it either.”

The "didn't notice it" excuse doesn't cut it. Because, at 2:47 in the original video, that little runt cleary admits that he knows they are not supposed to go in there.

Weememba Big Sign big danger Small Sign small danger Hmmm

Has the video been removed?, i cannot see the link.

25 minutes ago, tracker1 said:

Weememba Big Sign big danger Small Sign small danger Hmmm

It's like those little warnings on electrical appliance, do not immerse in water.  Small warning so no real danger if you ignore

" Several Thais have criticized the women online, saying they were embarrassed to see people from their country “acting like idiots” ". They act like idiots in Thailand, at least many do, so why not try any make it an export product?

Words fail me

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

haha. crazy but typical Thai rationalization. The sign was small so it couldn't have been dangerous.  Too funny

So how big does a sign need to be before a Thai takes it seriously. I mean it may help reduce road deaths locally if all the speed limit signs are changed for ones 40 foot in diameter.

31 minutes ago, james.d said:

Has the video been removed?, i cannot see the link.

Here is an article that includes the video. 

 

http://heavy.com/news/2017/08/asian-thai-tourists-fairy-falls-trailhead-firehole-river-geothermal-feature-destroys-walk-on-youtube-video/

 

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

haha. crazy but typical Thai rationalization. The sign was small so it couldn't have been dangerous.  Too funny

She is one stupid idiot. If she fell through the crust she would not be able to get out. The hot water would kill her. Monkey see monkey do

Smarter Than The Average Thai Khun Boo Boo

Good Thais in, bad Thais out

Did they pay double to get in?

The bigger the sign the bigger the danger. then, stupid cow should have kept her gob shut

Sroopt <deleted> would have ended up with a broken finger had he pointed in my face like that.

Nothing can cure an idiot!

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“No, I didn’t violate any rules. Had I broken a rule, I would have received a warning from park officials,” she said in a phone interview yesterday with the Thai Channel 3 Tieng Wan Tun Hetkarn TV programme. 

 

She said she did not think the area was dangerous because the warning sign was very small. 

in a nutshell explains thai attitude toward laws; calls them 'rules'; guess she actually wanted the 'small sign' removed

They had to step over the log barrier and the sign to get into the area.   

 

Of course, had something happened to them, then everyone would be in trouble for not jumping into boiling water to rescue them.   

It's all about "saving face", basically most Asians--and yes, I realize this is a generality, but most Asians can't admit to doing something wrong, it's never their fault. 

National park in Northern Thailand.