Cute guy in tourism film exposed as pervert

The cute little movie from the Culture Ministry and Tourism Authority was on its brave little way to viral status before someone pointed out the “creepy stalker” in it. 

That’s not how we saw it. An American sees an alluring “love_en-route” post on Instagram and travels to Thailand to check out the breathtaking sights in person. He tracks down the pretty Thai lady behind the posts and, sure enough, they fall in love. What’s so icky about that?

It’s icky, says a British anti-abuse organisation called Digital Trust. The guy’s stalking that poor woman.

In reporting the complaint, London newspaper the Independent says it sought comment from the Tourism Authority but couldn’t raise a response. Huh.

Okay, so the American does follow the Instagram lady around by tracking her check-in locations, but he seems pleasant enough. “And now I want to find the woman in the photos,” he says to no one in particular. “After following her footsteps this whole time it would be nice for us to meet and maybe become friends.” 

Still, the Daily Mail, the cheeky British tabloid that Thai elitists love so much they banned it, claims the film has also received negative reviews from the travel industry itself. “Lovesick man stalks stranger in creepy Thailand tourism ad,” it bellows. 

Thais don’t care. We’re still going to screen that sucker on the sidelines of this spring’s Cannes Film Festival and double the tourist influx. Probably all the negative publicity will even help. 

Isolating the problem

Chalermchai Kositpipat’s toilet problem has not gone away. Chinese tourists are still fouling the facilities at Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, the “White Temple” he designed.

And this includes the famous “Golden Toilet”, a work of art in itself. A temple official laid it out in graphic terms, quoted anonymously in several news reports. “They defecate on the floor, leave sanitary pads sticking to the walls and urinate against the wall outside.”

Chalermchai, a National Artist, freaked out when it first happened last month and banned all Chinese visitors. Then he had second thoughts and lifted the ban – with a warning to tour guides – but obviously no one’s getting the message. 

So here’s what Chalermchai’s going to do: He’s going to build separate toilets for the Chinese. 

His decision drew a mixed reaction on the Chinese news website Shanghaiist.com, where some folks deplored the tourists’ bad behaviour but others think the Thais are going too far with segregated washrooms. “I refuse to go to Thailand!” one says. “This is terrible!”

And it smells awful.