Yellowstone tourist video prompts fierce Thai social media witch-hunt

[webfact]

Yellowstone tourist video prompts fierce Thai social media witch-hunt

By THE NATION

 

 

A GROUP of Thai tourists who recently walked in a fragile thermal area in Yellowstone National Park in the United States have become victims of an online witch-hunt.

The apparent trespass was recorded by a non-Thai who posted the video clip online.

 

In response, a Thai Facebook page called “Social hunter1” has published photos of members of the group along with data from their social media accounts, accompanied by threats of a “witch-hunt”. 

 

 

“I am not going to just let things go with such kinds of people. Even if you are going to close your Facebook account, I am going to dig deep into your lives. In fact, I don’t want to engage in a witch-hunt. But this time, I must do it,” a recent post on the page read.

 

The post has attracted many comments, most of them ridiculing and attacking the tourists, who apparently ventured into an off-limits area of the park unknowingly. The original video shows a warning sign saying the area was dangerous, but the sign was small and poorly displayed.

 

Some commentators have posted they had used chat functions to lash out at the group. 

 

But others have objected to the apparent witch-hunt. “Think about the huge stress the cyberbullying victims will have to endure. What if they become depressed? Do you want to see them commit suicide? … What if one day you too do something stupid out of ignorance, just like in this case?” one person wrote.

 

Nukool Moolchot, one of the Thai tourists depicted in the video clip, said members of his group had been shaken by the social media witch-hunt so he was trying to explain what had happened.

 

 

In reaction, Pongsuk Hiranprueck, a wellknown host of various IT shows, has said he stopped being angry about the incident after Nukool provided explanations about the incident. 

 

According to Nukool, his group had followed a group of Westerners who had already been in the same area.

 

He also said they immediately left the area after a Westerner shouted a warning. 

 

 

Pongsuk said: “[Nukool’s] aunts are not good at English. That’s why she even said ‘from Thailand’ in front of the camera. She tried to be friendly.” He said Nukool felt the person who took the video clip was being racist and violated their privacy in recording just his group and not the Westerners.

 

Pongsuk said: “He admitted feeling angry, and failed to find the proper words to request that the foreigner delete the clip.”

 

However, the administrator of another Facebook page, “1412 Cardiology Page”, said the group should have studied the park rules before their visit. 

 

“Don’t just say you don’t know. We have to help conserve natural heritage no matter which places we visit,” he said. “And if no one asks you, don’t shout out the name of your country.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30324011

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-17

 

[Samui Bodoh]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

“I am not going to just let things go with such kinds of people. Even if you are going to close your Facebook account, I am going to dig deep into your lives. In fact, I don’t want to engage in a witch-hunt. But this time, I must do it,” a recent post on the page read.

 

Or...

 

You could just get a life.

 

[Somtamnication]

Amazing how overblown this incident has become. Yes, stupidly dangerous to do what they did. No, they did not kill a baby elephant. 

[Thian]

Pongsuk said: “He admitted feeling angry, and failed to find the proper words to request that the foreigner delete the clip.”

 

Why was Pongsuk thinking that he can order a westerner to delete his videofilm of a public park in the USA?  Are we also not allowed to film him on the streets in Thailand?

[Jingthing]

The video about the delete demand kind of speaks for itself. Proper words? I don't think they really exist in that situation. 

[inThailand]

According to Nukool, his group had followed a group of Westerners who had already been in the same area.

 

In typical Thai fashion, blame someone else for your stupidity!

[Thechook]

 Pongsuk said: “He admitted feeling angry, and failed to find the proper words to request that the "foreigner" delete the clip.”

 

Um Pongsuk, you were the foreigner not the American in America.  It's like in Australia where I and others are still referred to as Farangs by thais living there.

[rkidlad]

Wow. When I first read about this, I didn't care. Just thought more dumb tourists. When hearing the excuses, that's what's really annoyed people. Should have just said, "sorry, we made a mistake". Instead, they've gone for the old, "they did it so we just copied" and "they filmed cos they're racist".

 

All these childish excuses are just making people angrier. Admit you were being dumb and apologise. It's really that simple. Stop digging. 

[DoctorG]

Talk about an OTT reaction. Some of these "netizens" need to get a life.

[yankee99]

reminds me of some incident in thailand of a russian arrested for feeding a fish or another almost arrested for taking a photo with a star fish

[dinsdale]

Looking at the pic there is one Westerner. As for following a group of Westerners, who knows. A pic is just a moment in time. Having said this ignorance is no defence of the law. Thais don't respect their own country and their country's laws so this is just typical behaviour. Farangs in Thailand. Any better? Chinese. Speaking of ignorance and total lack of respect. Problem here is the complete lack of admitting you're wrong, something we all know is very rare indeed in the LOS.

[djayz]

2 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Amazing how overblown this incident has become. Yes, stupidly dangerous to do what they did. No, they did not kill a baby elephant. 

?

The result of too many people not having anything else to do. 

[gandalf12]

9 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Looking at the pic there is one Westerner. As for following a group of Westerners, who knows. A pic is just a moment in time. Having said this ignorance is no defence of the law. Thais don't respect their own country and their country's laws so this is just typical behaviour. Farangs in Thailand. Any better? Chinese. Speaking of ignorance and total lack of respect. Problem here is the complete lack of admitting you're wrong, something we all know is very rare indeed in the LOS.

It isn't only rare it is on par with finding hens teeth

[Thechook]

This is doing the rounds of social media

 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Pongsuk said: “He admitted feeling angry, and failed to find the proper words to request that the foreigner delete the clip.”

 

Why was Pongsuk thinking that he can order a westerner to delete his videofilm of a public park in the USA?  Are we also not allowed to film him on the streets in Thailand?

that is how racists think

[anon467367354]

what about if it was really dangerous it would have had a larger sign?

Are they changing their story? We followed some farang so it's OK, right?

It's not OK.

[Credo]

2 hours ago, inThailand said:

According to Nukool, his group had followed a group of Westerners who had already been in the same area.

 

In typical Thai fashion, blame someone else for your stupidity!

God, I hope they don't visit the Golden Gate Bridge.   There are people that jump off it and they could follow them.   

[Boon Mee]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

Or...

 

You could just get a life.

 

Exactly. 

This story is a perfect example of how fragile some people have become through "social media" 

[inThailand]

7 minutes ago, Credo said:

God, I hope they don't visit the Golden Gate Bridge.   There are people that jump off it and they could follow them.   

We could only hope!

 

 

[DeepSea]

However, the administrator of another Facebook page, “1412 Cardiology Page”, said the group should have studied the park rules before their visit. 

 

“Don’t just say you don’t know. We have to help conserve natural heritage no matter which places we visit,” he said. “And if no one asks you, don’t shout out the name of your country.

 

The issue here is not about conserving natural heritage numb nuts...its safety. Yellowstone Caldera is a fri**ng super-volcano, what's to preserve..? You can dance around the edge of it releasing white doves if it makes you feel better, but it is a far more potent phenomenon than we will ever be. Fragile thermal areas such as this, are places where the earth could literally collapse beneath your feet, plunging you into scalding water. Perhaps this gentleman should educate himself before taking the environmental preservation, moral high ground.

[alfalfa19]

it's too bad these imbeciles couldn't get their panties all bunched up about the real problems much closer to home.   too much trouble, i guess. 

[ThaiWai]

The thermal vent trespass aside, when that little guy got in the videographers face and started to threaten him to delete the video all innocence went out the window. Imagine some farang demanding a Thai delete a video here and tell me that wouldn't end with an unconscious farang being rib kicked and head stomped by a pack of Thai men.  The Thais in this incident must be shocked to find out that other countries actually have a thing called accountability.  And now to exacerbate it just makes it worse for all Thais wanting to visit the States.  Visa interviews at the US Embassy must not be fun this week as if they ever were.  Just apologize and SHUT UP.  Can't do it because growing up in Thailand they learned the opposite.  NEVER apologize and go ballistic.

[Blackheart1916]

An online witch hunt. How brave.

[GaryAdriaenssens]

Shows once more how mamy idiots and simple minds live among the Thai people. Oh! now I really have to be careful insulting them....

[Docno]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"In fact, I don’t want to engage in a witch-hunt. But this time, I must do it"

Someone needs to explain to him that a witch-hunt is when people are targeted for crimes (or behaviour) for which they are innocent...

[ThaiWai]

3 hours ago, Thian said:

Pongsuk said: “He admitted feeling angry, and failed to find the proper words to request that the foreigner delete the clip.”

 

Why was Pongsuk thinking that he can order a westerner to delete his videofilm of a public park in the USA?  Are we also not allowed to film him on the streets in Thailand?

Apparently not...

https://www.thephuketnews.com/australian-expat-stabs-to-death-phuket-nightclub-worker-51338.php

[Zack61]

Get over it. It's not even newsworthy. 

[soistalker]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The post has attracted many comments, most of them ridiculing and attacking the tourists, who apparently ventured into an off-limits area of the park unknowingly.

The first woman to talk, the one who said she is Thai, admitted to the guy filming that she knew that it was off limits. I wish that the article didn't try to whitewash...I mean Thaiwash the article. The truth is in the clip, not in the article. 

And if this had happened in Thailand with foreigners tresspassing, the penalty would be in the thousands.

[Ace of Pop]

Sorry i urt yer lump o rock mister.What a load of pampers crap.[emoji86]


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[Juan B Tong]

Poor Ponsuck,  without 4 or 5 of his punk frends to support him his demand fell on deaf ears.  And he will live faceless.