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Thais fume over tourists’ lack of ‘etiquette’ for sunbathing at holy sites: ‘how dare they?’

arifnsn January 16, 2024

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Foreign tourists caught sunbathing in front of Bangkok’s Grand Palace and inside a Buddhist temple’s compound in the north of Thailand have left locals fuming at the visitors’ lack of “etiquette and decency”.

A photo of two women in bathing suits lounging in the sun in Sanam Luang, a public square that has hosted major royal ceremonies, went viral on social media over the weekend.

The act attracted criticism from locals and sparked accusations of inappropriate behaviour at the revered site.

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“This is a holy place, not Patong beach. You should respect it,” said a Facebook user, referring to the popular resort town in Phuket.

Wrote another: “How dare they? They should know that it is not a place that allows sleeping around like this.”

Some wondered if the duo would behave the same way in front of Japan’s Himeji Castle or the Taj Mahal in India, rebuking them for “look down on Thais”.

The Sanam Luang State Park of Bangkok in Thailand. Photo: Shutterstock

“Nobody goes abroad and breaks the law of that country. Tell them that it’s not appropriate to do that in this place because Thai people view it as a sacred place,” commented a user.

“Try going to their country and doing unacceptable behaviour. They’ll scold you,” said another.

But others blamed officials for failing to put up signs informing tourists that sunbathing is banned in Sanam Luang and the women should be forgiven for not knowing about Thai culture.

“Because in their country, they can sunbathe next to the palace. This is normal. They liked the area, it’s clean and nice to sunbathe, that’s all,” a user said.

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On Sunday, a similar incident also ruffled feathers at Chiang Mai’s Wat Chiang Man temple, where a tuk-tuk driver spotted two women sunbathing in the shrine’s premises, took their photos and shared them on social media.

An abbot at the temple said the guests left the area after staff told them the location was ill-suited for getting a tan, chiding the passer-by for shaming the pair online instead of explaining to them how to behave in places of worship.

The priest added the temple does not have enough manpower to monitor errant foreigners and had to rely on devotees to keep an eye on tourists, The Nation news website reported.

Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. Photo: Shutterstock

According to government data, Thailand’s travel-dependent economy welcomed 28 million international tourists last year, generating US$34.93 billion of revenue.

The kingdom expects to draw about 35 million visitors this year.

In 2017, two Americans were arrested after sharing bare-bottomed photos at a famous Bangkok temple.

People visiting temples are expected to dress modestly, covering their shoulders and legs – with informational signs common at the Thai capital’s religious landmarks.

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