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Journalism of Courage
A viral video showing a group of men drinking, partying, and sleeping on Pattaya Beach in Thailand has sparked a heated debate, with many assuming and alleging they were Indian tourists. Originally posted by the Instagram page Thai Explore Life last month, the clip has amassed nearly eight million views.
The footage shows several men lounging on the beach, some sprawled out on bedsheets and towels, while others openly consume alcohol. The beach is littered with snack wrappers and beer cans, fuelling criticism about the tourists’ behaviour. However, the video does not confirm that only Indian tourists were responsible for the mess.
The caption on the post reads, “Indian vibes on Pattaya Beach! Enjoying the sea, and endless fun in Thailand!” This led to a flood of reactions, with many users criticising the behaviour shown in the video. One comment read, “As a fellow Indian, I feel extremely ashamed and very sad watching this. This kind of behaviour should be punishable.” Another user, currently in Pattaya, wrote, “I’m in Pattaya now, visiting from California, and I can confirm this. I thought I was in New Delhi.”
At the same time, some users pushed back, questioning the assumption that everyone in the video was Indian. One user wrote, “You asked each one sitting there that they are Indian? How did you come up with this broad conclusion? I’d like to know.” Another commented, “Not everyone who is brown and speaks Hindi is an Indian. Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Burmese are also there and very near to Thailand!”
However, Dr Deo Kumar Singh, president of the Indian Association of Chonburi, clarified that the people seen in the video were not Indian tourists. According to him, they were migrant workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka who had set up a temporary camp on the beach while arranging transportation, as per a report in the Pattaya Mail. The report also said they stayed there overnight before leaving for Bangkok the next morning.
