AI image of living space under Bangkok rail misleads online
- Published on May 28, 2026 at 09:59
- 3 min read
- By Chayanit ITTHIPONGMAETEE, Ali ZALZALI, AFP Thailand
An AI-generated image playing on Bangkok's notoriously unaffordable rental market -- purportedly showing a makeshift living space tucked underneath an elevated rail structure -- was mistaken for genuine by many social media users after it circulated widely in May 2026. But AFP found visual irregularities inconsistent with the city's Skytrain infrastructure, and the operator confirmed the image was "not real".
"Room for rent next to BTS skytrain, literally next to the railway. When the train passes by, the shirts dry faster than the sunlight," reads a Thai-language Facebook post on May 22, 2026.
Several hashtags mentioned in the post, such as "room for rent next to the BTS", "room for rent in Bangkok" and "life by the rails", are common listing phrases used by apartments and condominiums for rent near the BTS Skytrain station -- the city's main public transportation.
Among 80 global cities, Bangkok was ranked last in terms of housing affordability, according to a 2025 report published by DWS Group. Rent accounted for as high as 79 percent of the median income households in the Thai capital (archived link).
The image shared in the post shows a gap underneath a Skytrain rail beam -- with hanging articles and home appliances -- and a bus partially visible at the bottom of the image.
The same photo was shared widely by Thai users across several platforms. It also spread in posts in English, Swahili and Arabic, with some claiming the image shows residents inside elevated highway structures in other countries like Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria.
"Officials need to go check. It's dangerous," one Facebook user wrote, while another added: "Thai people are really talented at finding places to stay that don't require paying rent."
However, the photo was generated using AI.
Several visual irregularities typical of AI-generated visuals can be observed in the image, including inconsistent Thai text on the bus sign.
Furthermore, the number "01" does not match any bus lines operating in Bangkok (archived link).
On May 25, the Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTSC), the operator of the BTS Skytrain, published a statement on its official Facebook page addressing the viral image (archived link).
"Regarding the circulating image of the area around the BTS Skytrain track structure, we wish to clarify that the image is not real," it says. "BTS places the utmost importance on safety, including the management of surrounding areas."
"The photo does not reflect the rail system's real structure," a BTSC representative also told AFP. "For example, the noise barriers are missing in the fake photo."
Comparing the viral image to an AFP photo of the BTS Skytrain structure, the noise barrier is visible on the edge of the rail system in the AFP photo, but is absent in the viral image.
AFP ran the photo through OpenAI's image verification tool, which found the image was "generated with OpenAI tools" (archived link).
AFP previously debunked other AI-generated content circulating alongside false claims.
Copyright © AFP 2017-2026. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
