Book Festival Confrontation Fuels Online Backlash in China and Thailand
Book Festival Confrontation Fuels Online Backlash in China and Thailand
BANGKOK, 28 July 2026 — The Chinese Embassy in Thailand has called on Thai authorities to investigate allegations that excessive force was used against a Chinese national during a confrontation with event staff at a book festival in Bangkok, as conflicting accounts of the incident fueled online debate in both countries.
In a statement, the embassy said it had been informed of the altercation at the International Novel Festival 2026 at Samyan Mitrtown and noted that organizer GMM TV Co., Ltd. had acknowledged that “excessive force was used” during the incident.
The embassy urged Thai authorities to establish the facts as soon as possible, handle the matter appropriately in accordance with the law, and said it would provide consular assistance to the Chinese citizen within the scope of its responsibilities.
According to Thai media reports, the dispute occurred during a special meet-and-greet session with artists, where organizers enforced strict seating rules allowing each attendee only one assigned seat and prohibiting seat reservations or transfers.
Thai reports said the confrontation began after a Chinese attendee occupied a seat that had briefly been vacated by a Thai participant who intended to save it for a friend. The reports also alleged that the Chinese woman had obtained the reservation through a booking service, which would have violated the event’s regulations.
Organizers reportedly spent between 10 and 20 minutes attempting to resolve the dispute, presenting photographs they said showed the woman had not been in the original queue and repeatedly asking her to leave. Thai media reported that she refused to comply, remained focused on her mobile phone and shook off a staff member’s arm.
The situation escalated when staff attempted to escort her away while blocking her phone camera as she recorded the encounter. Thai accounts alleged that the woman kicked a female staff member in the leg, prompting other staff members to restrain her, describing the action as a standard safety response to violent behavior.
A different version of events circulated widely on Chinese social media, where users claimed the woman had arrived at the venue at 6 a.m. and possessed evidence confirming her place in the queue. According to those accounts, staff refused to examine the evidence before using force, including grabbing her phone, pressing on her neck and dragging her away.
Chinese social media users further claimed the woman kicked staff only in self-defense before being thrown to the ground by what they described as a long-haired male security guard, leaving her clothing torn and official merchandise damaged.
The incident sparked widespread criticism online in China, with some users calling for a boycott of Thai artists and demanding an apology and punishment for those involved. Unverified claims also circulated that organizers intended to pursue legal action against the woman for allegedly damaging Thailand’s tourism image.
Thai attendees disputed many of the claims circulating online, sharing videos they said showed that only female staff members were involved in restraining the woman, rather than a male security guard. They also questioned assertions that she had been waiting since 6 a.m., noting that the shopping mall did not open until 10 a.m., and argued that the footage showed the woman resisting staff before kicking a female employee.
The Chinese Embassy has urged Thai authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident. No official findings have yet been released, and the conflicting accounts remain unverified pending the outcome of any investigation.
