Pictures courtesy of Bangkokpost

Police in Chiang Mai have arrested two Australian tourists accused of spray-painting the outer wall of a 400-year-old Buddhist temple, after CCTV footage was submitted by the temple’s abbot. Vandalism has led to repeated damage and significant repainting costs for the temple.

The suspects were identified as Joshua, 32, and Gabrielle, 27, and were taken into custody on 7 February 2026. Police said the pair later confessed to the act and now face fines under Thailand’s Public Cleanliness Act.

The case began after Phra Kru Palad Preeda Jaiboon, abbot of Wat Dok Euang in tambon Sri Phum, Muang district, filed a complaint with police earlier in the week. He submitted CCTV footage showing a couple spray-painting the temple’s outer wall at around 1am on 30 January.

According to the abbot, the temple had already spent tens of thousands of baht repainting the wall following earlier incidents. New graffiti appeared soon after the repairs were completed, prompting further concern and the formal complaint.

Investigators from Muang police station reviewed the footage and traced the suspects’ movements. Police established that the couple returned to a hotel on Chaiyaphum Road Soi 1 after the incident and later travelled to Pai district in Mae Hong Son province.

Pol Col Prachya Tisala, chief of Muang police station, said officers continued monitoring the suspects’ whereabouts, with police learning the pair were returning to Chiang Mai. Tourist police and immigration officers acted on the information and arrested the suspects. They were then handed over to investigators at Muang police station for further legal proceedings.

Pol Col Prachya confirmed that both suspects admitted to spray-painting the temple wall during questioning. He said they would be fined under the Public Cleanliness Act, which covers acts of vandalism and damage to public places.

The Bangkokpost reported that the case highlights ongoing concerns among temple authorities about repeated acts of vandalism at historic religious sites. It also underscores the role of CCTV footage and cooperation between local police, tourist police and immigration officers in tracking suspects. Police have not disclosed the amount of the fine or whether additional penalties may apply.

Key Takeaways

• Two Australians were arrested after CCTV captured them spray-painting a Chiang Mai temple wall on 30 January.

• The abbot said repeated vandalism had already cost the temple tens of thousands of baht in repainting.

• The suspects confessed and will face fines under Thailand’s Public Cleanliness Act.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkokpost 2026-02-08

 

 

This kind of behavior is disgraceful. Spray-painting a 400-year-old Buddhist temple isn’t just “tourist mischief” — it’s vandalism against a sacred cultural site that locals have worked hard to preserve. I sincerely hope we see a follow-up story confirming that these two are fined heavily and deported!

It’s bad enough to graffiti in your own country, but doing it abroad shows an even deeper disrespect. When you’re a guest in another nation, you owe it to the people there to respect their traditions, their heritage, and their laws. The Thai authorities should make it clear that this kind of conduct won’t be tolerated.

As an Australian myself, I’m embarrassed. Our Embassy should take note of this case and remember it when these individuals come back to renew their passports.

Actions like this tarnish the reputation of all Australians traveling overseas, and the consequences should reflect the seriousness of the offense!

Idiots. What were they thinking? Right in front of CCTV too.

They should be fined and made to repaint the wall themselves.

Perhaps they mistakenly thought it was fair game looking at the graffiti on the way opposite? Maybe they didn't even realise it was a temple wall? Still, they deserve punishment under law.

Thought it would be millennials, but they look to have made the crossing to the old codger side a life. Cultural degeneration is surging in the early 21 century.

Idiots! not artists.

Lock them up.

Make them repaint the wall at their expense.

Oh wait... they're probably broke.

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Australians

Enough said.

Off to a kangaroo court for Rolf Harris.

Just put them for one day in general population in any Thai prison and let the Thai cons know what the two Australians have done. They will truly regret their actions and learn respect.

Bigly sad.

All for this.........

https://world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/60363

30 days community service cleaning graffiti, along with fines and restitution, followed by deportation appropriate.

Although Michael Fay probably won't be a repeat offender................

Dickheads, flog 'em and hang 'em.

at least they didn't draw a penis.

4 hours ago, save the frogs said:

at least they didn't draw a penis.

I have no idea what that juvenie scribbling represents.

I recall "Scouse Lee" spraying Chiang Mai wall .

200 000 Baht fine

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46209324

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

I recall "Scouse Lee" spraying Chiang Mai wall .

200 000 Baht fine

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46209324

Ah, yes, the dummy who couldn't spell "Scouser" correctly.

"The message appears to read 'Scousse Lee', but it is allegedly meant to say “Scouser Lee” in a reference to Liverpool. Underneath is the initial “B” — apparently belonging to Canadian tourist Brittney Schneider, who was also arrested along with Furlong."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/british-backpacker-faces-10-years-in-prison-for-spraying-scouser-lee-onto-a-sacred-wall-in-thailand-a3965906.html

But Lee and girlfriend B got some good advice about how to play the very bad cards they were holding. They admitted the crime and expressed extreme remorse. The Thai authorities gave them a big fine but no jail time. As I recall, the authorities wanted them out of Thailand ASAP as the BiB feared the possibility of street justice due to public outrage.

The risk of street justice is probably higher now because a temple was defaced. I'm always outraged myself over this sort of tourist behavior. Tourists, no matter what country they are from, need to respect Thai culture and traditions.

19 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

Just put them for one day in general population in any Thai prison and let the Thai cons know what the two Australians have done. They will truly regret their actions and learn respect.

I agrre let them have 6months free stay at the Bangkok Hilton and then deport them as they have got to be total idiots. Due to these punks in Australia clans of spray paint are locked up in a cabinet in the hardware stores and sale is very restricted.

Disgusting behaviour. Fine, imprison. deport.

Dirty grubs,make them clean up th e mess.Then send th e grubs back to Aussie.

I always cringe when I see these types of people in Thailand. Probably on their way to or from Pai. Hopefully they both get some jail time and a boot up the ass for embarrassing the rest of us with their presence.

FINES!

Should be at least at deportation and a banning.

20 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Idiots! not artists.

Lock them up.

Make them repaint the wall at their expense.

Oh wait... they're probably broke.

30 days in immigration jail, clean the walls, and then charge them and deport them.

20 hours ago, Packer said:

Enough said.

Off to a kangaroo court for Rolf Harris.

Agreed, they can't escape their convict heritage.

Send these two scumbags to Prison....for some attitude adjustment.

The black list forever.

IMHO, the spray painting on the opposite wall is a kind of motivation.

On 2/7/2026 at 12:53 PM, Georgealbert said:

The suspects were identified as Joshua, 32, and Gabrielle, 27, and were taken into custody on 7 February 2026. Police said the pair later confessed to the act and now face fines under Thailand’s Public Cleanliness Act.

Good these filthy bums got busted, now toss them in the can for a few months and send them back, permanently.

On 2/8/2026 at 1:05 PM, Woke to Sounds said:

Idiots! not artists.

Lock them up.

Make them repaint the wall at their expense.

Oh wait... they're probably broke.

Ooooohhh - I can 'sense' a GoFundMe being started...

2 hours ago, novacova said:

Good these filthy bums got busted, now toss them in the can for a few months and send them back, permanently.

I agree- and let their new friends in jail know what these ignorant scum did to a sacred Thai building

Wow, Joshua, 32, and Gabrielle, 27. That's scary. At that age they should be teaching their own children to to do what they did.

As an Australian I am so embarrassed because of these infantile so called adults.

Give them a large fine such as > 100,000 bah each. Then;

• make them repaint the wall and they stay in the local lock up till it's finished.

• Once finished and the fine is paid deport them and stamp on their passport not to be allowed back into Thailand for 3 years and write under the stamp exit for deportation that they, "desecrated a Thai temple" so Australian customs know why and mark these two children in the customs border mainframe.permanently.

Someone needs to do a GoFundMe to send them to remedial art school.

Then send them to fashion school.

To give the Ocker his due, there are a few elements of the late Pablo Picasso in his Fresco. Not so much cubist perhaps, but certainly has fragments of surrealism and abstractionism. The face, breasts, and umbilicus are easily recognizable and not totally lacking in artistic form.

I wonder if this is his signature picture and is on every other piece of crumbling masonry in the urban slums of Sydney.

Fine them heavily, make them repaint the wall, lock them up for 30 days, then deport and ban for 10 years.

Off topic troll post removed @Burma Bill final warning, stop using every topic as an excuse for your repeated Thai bashing.