Due to their involvement in the Bangkok brawl, 2 Pinoys are set to pay fines and face deportation
BANGKOK BRAWL – Two transgender individuals from the Philippines, who are facing charges for a physical altercation with Thai transgender individuals in Bangkok, are set to pay fines and be sent back to their home country, according to a foreign affairs official on Thursday.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega stated that the Filipino transgenders involved in the incident would only be required to pay fines and then deported. “Ang gagawin na lang, ipapabayad ng piyansa o fine ‘yung mga assailant, ‘yung mga Filipino transgender. Dalawa silang kinasuhan, pay fine tapos i-deport na lang. ‘Yung ibang Pilipinong transgender na nasa Bangkok ay nagsisi-uwian na kasi mainit eh. Kasi binabantaan sila ng mga Thai transgender,” he said during an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
De Vega mentioned that there had been tension brewing between the two transgender groups, leading to a physical fight in Bangkok’s red-light district on March 4. He urged Filipinos living abroad to always show respect to locals in their host countries. “Nananawagan tayo sa ating mga kababayan, pag nasa abroad tayo, huwag makipag-away sa mga locals kasi teritoryo nila ‘yun. Importante na ‘yung magandang pangalan ng mga Pilipino sa ibat-ibang bansa ay ma-maintain natin” he stressed.
Reports from Thai media and social media users indicated that police were called on Monday night due to a dispute involving over a hundred Thai transgender s*x workers gathering outside the hotel where the Filipinos were staying, stemming from a territorial conflict. Videos of the incident that went viral showed the situation turning chaotic as the Filipinos were escorted out of the hotel and the Thai crowd broke through the police line. The confrontation continued at the local police station.
About 20 other transgender Filipinos either moved from their hotel or went back to the Philippines due to threats. The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok confirmed that all the Filipinos involved were tourists and stated that Thai authorities are investigating if they were illegally employed in Thailand.