CHIANG MAI – Two Australian tourists have been arrested and confessed to spray-painting the outer wall of a historic Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, after the temple’s abbot filed a complaint over repeated and costly vandalism.

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The abbot of Wat Dok Euang in Sri Phum sub-district reported the incident to police on Tuesday, providing CCTV footage that showed a couple defacing the temple’s exterior wall at approximately 1 a.m. on January 30. The abbot expressed frustration, stating the temple had spent tens of thousands of baht repainting the wall, only for new graffiti to reappear shortly after.

Investigators from Muang Police Station reviewed the footage, which tracked the suspects back to a hotel on Chaiyaphum Road Soi 1. Further checks confirmed the pair had subsequently travelled to Pai district in Mae Hong Son province.

Chiang Mai police have arrested an Australian couple for defacing a temple wall, in the province’s Muang district in late January, by spraying graffiti on it.

The pair were identified as Joshua, 32, and Gabrielle, 27, and were taken into custody on February 6th by police. The… pic.twitter.com/ZsOrxUfx5Y

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) February 7, 2026

On Friday, police received information that the two were returning to Chiang Mai. A coordinated operation involving Tourist Police and Immigration officers was set up, leading to their arrest under a bridge in San Phisuea sub-district.

The suspects were identified as Joshua, 32, and Gabrielle, 27, both Australian nationals. They confessed to spray-painting the wall of the 400-year-old temple.

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The pair have been handed over to investigators and are set to face fines under the Public Cleanliness Act. The case highlights ongoing challenges faced by cultural and religious sites in popular tourist areas.

-Thailand News (TN)