The bizarre trend of Chinese tourists wearing Chiang Mai University students’ uniform as a”cosplay” activity has been put to stop by the university’s board yesterday as two tourists were escorted to the police station yesterday.
Asst. Prof. Rome Jiranukrom, a deputy dean of Chiang Mai University, reveals they caught two Chinese tourists wearing students’ uniforms without permission while taking pictures with the university’s landmarks.
The act has been viewed as inappropriate by the university community as outsiders might misunderstand tourists as CMU students.
“I have to admit that the fact that CMU is a popular attraction for the Chinese tourists is both an opportunity and a threat for the university community at the same time,” Rome said.
Besides the cosplay activity, many students have complained that the Chinese tourists cause disturbance during their classes and occupied seats in the university’s service buses which are reserved for students.
To prevent the cosplay pictures being published, the two tourists in uniform along with their two companies were escorted to the police station for violating the law.
Rome said disguising oneself in a CMU student uniform without proper reasons is punishable by a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison or THB100,000 fine.
Although the university will most likely drop the charges; Rome said he hoped the case would serve as a lesson to other Chinese visitors, Khaosod and MThai reported.
Last month, a Chinese couple was raged at by CMU students online when they posted pictures of themselves in students’ uniform, displaying public affection in the university’s ground on their blog.
The comments from CMU students suggested that they were disturbed by the Chinese tourists who built a tent and camp in the campus, empty the food sold in the university’s cafeteria, and block the sidewalks and traffic by riding motorbikes in the campus.
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