Bangkok: Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin clarified the situation surrounding a video clip depicting a group of individuals, appearing to be Chinese tourists, visiting Government House. Somsak, who was a deputy prime minister at the time, explained that the visit occurred at the end of the year when people came to extend New Year greetings. Due to not having a dedicated office space within a ministry, the meetings took place at the Government House command building.
According to Thai News Agency, the visitors included students and business owners who came to offer their well-wishes. Somsak clarified that the gifts seen in the video, such as towels, were presents he distributed to everyone. He noted that the Chinese students' spoken words were inaccurately translated in the Thai subtitles of the clip, as someone had edited the footage. The interaction with the students lasted approximately five minutes, during which they discussed his Chinese heritage. Somsak likened the meeting to opening his home and office for people, with many different groups visiting to meet him.