The president of a prestigious arts university called out for posting sleazy comments about flight attendants has denied there’s anything wrong with the creepy pics that have disgusted his student body.
Silpakorn University students last night reacted in disbelief after Rector Chaicharn Thavaravej posted a picture of a female VietJet crew member “to drool over” on social media.
“You are the rector in the world of art, who set oneself in ethics,” Thasnai Sethaseree said in a widely shared post bringing it to attention. “If you like taking pictures, don’t let the photos you take come off as degrading.” Thasnai also posted an online petition demanding the university investigate him for misconduct.
Chaicharn said last night that he didn’t mean anything bad when he posted the photo Wednesday.
“I took the photos, but did not mean any harm. It was just a photo showing air hostesses at work that didn’t harm them in any way,” Chaicharn said. “I usually post pictures on my Facebook but didn’t find they sexually harrassed them, from my understanding.”
In the original post earlier in the day, he captioned a photo of a young flight attendant:
“Heading to Chiang Rai government office with VietJet, will return tomorrow evening. The minister next to me asked, ‘Professor, what are you doing?’ I said, ‘Oh when I travel by plane, I always take photos of air hostesses for my subordinates to drool over.’”
Chaicharn, 71, was accused of sexual harassing and violating the privacy of the women, as well as failing to live up to the standards expected of a top university administrator.
“I’m really embarrassed,” Phattharawadi Sriwat wrote. “He is both the rector of the university, my teacher, and my senior.”
Chaicharn said the photo wasn’t intended to be malicious, and that he had learned his lesson. But it wasn’t an isolated incident: Internet sleuths dug up find similar shots of stewardesses posted by the rector, all of which have since been deleted.
A widely followed Thai aviation source tweeted that “It is illegal and highly improper to take photos of flight attendants on duty without their permission. So please don’t do something like this again, it’s a very bad thing.”
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