BANGKOK – When a YouTuber named ANNDAY posted a photo while traveling in Hong Kong, showing a mysterious woman in a dark red shirt clutching her back, it has become viral on the internet, making the hashtag #HongKongGhost the number one trend on social media X.
The caption suggests that it could be a ghost picture, as she did not see the woman at all when the picture was taken, which sparked a lot of criticism, both from believers and non-believers.
This includes a comment by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jessada Denduangboripant, lecturer at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, who frequently publishes messages explaining various beliefs as scientific findings rather than supernatural phenomena: “You just have to the light to be brighter. A ghost becomes a human, haha”
On April 18, he said in an interview with Matichon Online that the woman in the red shirt in the picture is clearly a person from the beginning. And when the light is adjusted and the image is enlarged, it can be clearly seen that it is a person and not a ghost.
“It is possible that people focus on the screen when taking pictures or selfies and do not pay attention to what is happening behind them, such as whether someone is walking by or something is passing by. This needs to be verified through the store’s security cameras,” he added.
When asked how he sees this story going viral, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jessada said that he sees it as a normal thing that happens in other countries as well. Because the story immediately becomes interesting when there is an image of something mysterious, and the more opinions are divided into two sides, both believers and non-believers, the more likely it becomes a trend and goes viral.
“I’m not talking about this case, but I think what is worrying is that society is starting to create more and more content that could cause panic. Some countries, like China, have even passed laws banning the creation of content that misleads the public. For example, reporting that a wallet has been found and the owner is being sought. It later turns out that the story is not true, but just a hoax. This will be punished immediately,” he stated.
Rachapol Sirisakorn, a lawyer, agrees that the “Hong Kong ghost” story could land people in jail if a camera check reveals it is a person and not a ghost, but tells others it is a ghost. Causing public panic can be punishable under Article 384 of the Penal Code with up to one month’s imprisonment or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both imprisonment and a fine.
In addition to serious legal opinions, netizens have also taken issue with the Hong Kong ghost’s fashion look, poking fun at the fact that she wears designer brands totaling over 30,000 baht from head to toe, making her a modern ghost.
“Be it a famous shirt from the British brand Turnbull & Asser worth around 21,330 baht, pants from ZARA worth 1,290 baht or shoes from the American sneaker brand AUTRY worth around 6,800 baht,” it stated.
At the same time, The Parallel, the place where the YouTuber took the picture, posted a message on Instagram theparallel_hk that its staff were working on recovering various clips as the incident happened a while ago, so it’s taking time to find them.
The bar also posted a message asking people to comment on the issue, “Did our bar just get a little more spirited? Recently, a famous Thai influencer captured something unexpected in our mirror – and it‘s gone viral! We’re diving deep into the mystery of the #SohoGhost. Stay tuned as we uncover the stories hidden within our walls. What do you think? Ghost, illusion, or just a trick of the light? Share your thoughts.”
However, later on Thursday night, it posted an update message saying, “We’re on a mission to recover the CCTV footage that has mysteriously gone missing! But fear not; we’re not giving up. We’re determined to crack the case and unravel the mystery behind it.
While we’re at it, we’re contacting the responsible individuals at nearby stores to score their CCTV footage and play detective to identify the car owner in those snapshots. 🔍
We’re just as curious as you are to uncover the truth! So, stay tuned for updates on #SOHOGHOST.”
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