Thai entertainment company GMMTV has suspended an event employee following what it described as the use of violence against a Chinese fan during the International Novel Festival 2026.
In an official statement released yesterday, the company said it had conducted an initial investigation into the incident and found that the staff member involved had "used excessive force at certain points" while handling the situation.
The company reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on violence, stating that it "does not support violence under any circumstances", and expressed regret over the incident and its impact on those involved.
Although the employee was an outsourced worker hired specifically for the event and was not a direct employee of GMMTV, the company said it accepts responsibility for ensuring proper supervision of all personnel involved in its events.
The staff member has been suspended while the investigation continues.
GMMTV said the incident was a dispute between individuals and did not represent the company's position towards Chinese fans or people of any other nationality.
"We are committed to learning from this incident and will conduct a comprehensive review of our event management procedures and supervisory protocols," the company said, adding that improvements would be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The statement followed a wave of controversy surrounding an altercation between event security personnel and a Chinese female fan during a JuniorMark fan gathering at Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok on July 25.
The incident quickly gained attention on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Discussions included allegations that a Chinese fan had been physically assaulted by Thai event staff and calls for the release of the venue's full CCTV footage.
According to information circulating on Chinese social media, the fan arrived at the venue at around 6am and claimed she had reserved her place in the queue with an umbrella, which she said was a common practice among fans.
She denied accusations that she had cut in line and said she had evidence, including photographs and chat records, to support her account.
She alleged that the security staff member involved, who arrived later, refused to acknowledge her place in the queue or review the evidence she presented and forcibly removed her from the area.
She claimed that she was pulled, had her mobile phone taken away and was restrained by the neck. Regarding footage appearing to show her raising a leg towards staff, she said the movement was a defensive reaction before she was restrained and taken to the ground.
Videos circulating online appear to show the Chinese fan being escorted from an upper floor to the ground floor in front of other attendees, further intensifying public criticism and calls for transparency.
Some Chinese online communities called for a boycott of travel to Thailand and urged people to stop supporting Thai artists.
Other Chinese social media users urged caution, however, saying conclusions should not be drawn from short video clips taken out of context and that the actions of individuals should not be used to generalise about an entire nationality.
Meanwhile, some Thai fans and witnesses at the scene gave a different account of the incident, alleging that the Chinese fan had violated queueing rules, resisted staff instructions and kicked a female security officer.
