Foreigner in Thailand sparks outrage after allegedly calling police over noise from ordination festival

Foreigner in Thailand allegedly called police over noisy ordination festival, sparking outrage online

Last Sunday (7 June), a social media post sparked a viral frenzy in Thailand after it alleged that a foreigner had called the police over the noise coming from an ordination festival.

Many netizens flocked to criticise the man for disrespecting the local culture of the country in which he was residing.

However, the event organisers would later clarify that the situation was wildly exaggerated.

In a social media post, one of them explained that the foreigner had reached out after his own children had trouble sleeping due to the sounds from the festivities and that the situation was resolved amicably.

Exaggerated story sparks viral outrage

In the viral post, the caption said the foreigner had forced the festival in Koh Phangan to halt, and even called the police to do so.

The post then goes on to say that anti-foreigner sentiment is growing in Thailand because of incidents like these.

“Before coming to live in Thailand, marrying a Thai woman, or getting a job, foreigners should learn a bit more about the local culture,” the post said.

“That way, they can more easily adapt to local life.”

The post also pondered if the festivals were too noisy and if there was a middle ground.

Since it was published, the post has garnered over 600 comments. Many of the commenters criticised the foreigner.

“The visa policy really brings all sorts of people to Thailand,” one commenter lamented.

Organisers clarify situation

In response to the viral post, some of the organisers clarified what actually happened.

“It’s fake news,” one of them wrote on Facebook. “He did not order us to stop the festivities.”

The post went on to clarify that the foreign man was neither Russian nor Israeli, two nationalities that have a large presence in southern Thailand.

According to a police statement, the Ukrainian man had approached the festival at around 10pm after his two kids, aged seven and nine, were having trouble sleeping due to the noise.

He had asked the organisers to turn down the volume slightly after the performances were done.

“Witnesses described an amicable conversation without threats,” police said.

However, due to a language barrier, there was some miscommunication, which eventually led to the police being called to mediate.

Once the man understood that the festival would only last for one day and was a culturally significant event, he let the matter drop entirely.

“He stayed at the festival to observe the performances until 11.55pm when he left,” the statement said.

Police also urged the public to be more vigilant regarding fake news online.

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