BANGKOK – Thai police have threatened to take legal action against a Chinese social media idol for saying a Bangkok district famous for its nightlife is not safe, although they admitted they did not know yet how they would proceed against the woman.

Immigration Bureau deputy commissioner Phanthana Nutchanart said police now know the whereabouts of the Chinese woman who posted a negative clip about Soi Nana on Sukhumvit Road.

Mr Phanthana, however, admitted that the Chinese tourist had the right to post a clip criticising Thailand. Police had yet to consider the legal aspects of taking action against her.

Mr Phanthana said police would summon the tourist for interrogation to know about her motive.

He was commenting on a post on Facebook page Lui Chin (Fighting Chinese). On Dec 6, the page posted that a Chinese TikTok user, who is a star on Chinese social network Douyin, had posted a clip discrediting Thailand by saying it was unsafe for women to travel alone on Soi Nana.

The Facebook page Lui Chin added the Chinese tourist had mentioned in her video clip that 99 per cent of people on Soi Nana “are not good”.

On Dec 7, Lumpini Police Station sent a report on the case to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

In the report, the station identified the Chinese woman as 28-year-old Ziyu Wang who entered Thailand via the Suvarnabhumi checkpoint on Nov 2. Her visa expires in October 2024.

The report quoted the Chinese woman as speaking on her video clip that she would risk herself to warn women about what would happen if they visited the soi, or side street, alone.

According to the report, the tourist visited the soi at 11.30pm one night.

After a foreign tourist greeted her, she walked away and said on camera that she could have been helplessly pulled away by the foreigner.

“A moment ago, that man said to me: ‘How are you today?’ But I could say had he pulled me away, I would not have been able to escape. You, women, if you are here and if you are approached, I can guarantee you won’t be able to escape.”

According to the report by the police station, the woman ended her clip by saying: “Ninety-nine per cent of people walking on this street are definitely not good people.”

The clip was another instance of negative publicity undermining Thailand’s soft power, according to tourism operators in the country. They complain that the government’s free visa measure did not help much in bringing Chinese tourists because social networks in China were flooded with false news and negative news about the kingdom.

Source: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK and CNN