Chinese tourists banned from temple
Well-known national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat is rightly proud of his spectacularWat Rong Khun, the "White Temple" in Chiang Rai.
He has little patience with people who do not show it proper respect.
Temple managers have been particularlydispleased with (mainland) Chinese visitors who, they say, have used the public restrooms in an inappropriate way.
Thus, after a Chinese female visitor refused to remove a piece of used toiletpaper she had dropped into a flush tank in the temple’s embellished Golden Toilet, Mr Chalermchai reportedly ordered a ban on Chinese visitors to the temple
The ban lasted only half a day, however. It was called off after Mr Chalermchai felt sympathy for many Chinese people who had arrived at the venue only to be denied entry.
The temple was reopened to Chinese tourists on the condition that their tour guides be held responsible forcleaning the toilets if their clients behaved inappropriately.
Mr Chalermchai, who was named a National Artist for the visual arts in 2011, has been working on Wat Rong Khun, the ornate white Buddhist temple, since 1996.
The temple, in tambon Pa-or Donchai in Muang district, is open daily, free of charge from 8am-5pm.