‘Smile-forcing’ tour reception staff in Thailand apologise
In viral video, staff are seen smiling only when posing for souvenir photos with tourists
Young women seen in a video clip forcing themselves to smile while handing garlands to Chinese tourists at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport apologised for damaging the image of Thai tourism.
The Tourist Police Bureau said the reception staff and their employer met Pol Maj Gen Surachet “Big Joke” Hakpal, deputy commissioner of the bureau, to express the apology and to state they would improve services.
The video went viral on Monday. It showed the reception staff in traditional Thai clothing draping garlands over arriving Chinese tourists before they boarded a bus. The staff smiled only when tourists posed for souvenir photos and otherwise looked bored.
The Tourist Police Bureau said the women were staff of Jingjai Photo Co and the clip was first posted by a tour guide.
The bureau quoted the women as saying that they were employed to hang garlands on tourists every day and their gestures in the video resulted from hot weather and tiredness.
