Last week, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Tourism Authority Thailand announced that 8,745 people from Surin province succeeded in setting a new record of "the highest number of people folding fabric animals simultaneously" in the Guinness World Record. This event was part of the Elephant Festival, an annual event in Surin. Organised by the Surin provincial administration and TAT, the event of folding fabric into elephant dolls aimed to boost tourism since numbers had dropped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Organisers also hoped the event would promote Surin fabric, which is a signature product of the province.
The new record should have been a good idea for publicity. However, before announcing the achievement, the event was criticised by netizens because students from 15 schools and universities who participated were not volunteers. Comments on social media and a video revealed the students were forced to enter the Elephant Show Arena from noon, before the opening ceremony.
