CHIANG MAI – Police are searching for a foreign man who spray-painted graffiti on the historic wall of Wat Lam Chang, a centuries-old temple in Chiang Mai’s old city, after the culprit reportedly left the northern province by air.
The incident was reported by the abbot of Wat Lam Chang, who filed a complaint with Chiang Mai city police on Tuesday morning.
According to the abbot, the temple’s outer wall on Ratchapakhinai Road was found defaced with black spray paint around midnight. The damage included English-language text and a house motif, sprayed near a mural of an elephant created by a local artist.
Wat Lam Chang, dating back over 650 years to the era of King Mangrai, the founder of Chiang Mai and the Lanna kingdom, has been targeted by vandals multiple times in recent years. The temple has spent significant sums repainting the walls and previously offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of offenders. Surveillance cameras were recently installed around the perimeter in response to repeated incidents.
CCTV footage and evidence provided by nearby residents identified the latest perpetrator as a foreign man who arrived alone on a motorcycle. Police investigations later confirmed the suspect is a US tourist who has since departed Chiang Mai by plane. Authorities are coordinating with immigration officials to track the suspect’s movements.
The abbot said the temple would pursue legal action and would not accept any settlement in the case. Police have yet to apprehend any suspects in connection with previous acts of vandalism at the site.
The incident has renewed concerns about the protection of Chiang Mai’s cultural heritage sites amid rising numbers of foreign visitors.
Calls for stricter enforcement and preventive measures have followed similar cases in other parts of Thailand, where foreign nationals have been arrested and prosecuted for vandalism of public property.
Source: Bangkok Post