Graffiti has also been reported on residential fences, shopfront shutters and public buildingsListen to this articleA CCTV still shows a man and woman, believed to be foreigners, spray‑painting the outer wall of an old Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai on Jan 30, 2026. (Photos: Panumet Tanraksa)CHIANG MAI — The abbot of a 400-year-old Buddhist temple in this northern province has filed a police complaint after CCTV footage captured a man and woman — believed to be foreigners — spray-painting its perimeter wall, despite the temple having spent money repainting it several times. The temple has already spent tens of thousands of baht repainting the wall, only for new graffiti to appear soon after. Chiang Mai’s city area has 38 temples, many of them centuries old and considered culturally significant, the monk said. Siwa Thamikkanon, deputy governor of deputy Chiang Mai, said the province has received frequent complaints about temple vandalism and has coordinated with the Office of Buddhism, police and other agencies to tackle the issue.

Source: Bangkok Post February 04, 2026 16:06 UTC