Photo of female tourist posing with Buddha statue irks Thais

BANGKOK, Thailand – A photograph of a female tourist posing with a Buddha statue at Srisanpetch Temple in Ayutthaya province has offended Thais and has sparked several discussions on the internet.

Reports said that the foreign woman stood behind the Buddha statue and positioned her head and arm in the same spots as the statue’s missing parts before having her picture taken.

A sign, in multiple languages, is posted at the temple’s entrance to inform tourists about appropriate conduct and behavior.

A Thai tourist said he saw the incident during his New Year holiday trip to Ayutthaya. The man said he had seen travelers taking inappropriate photographs on other occasions as well.

“A person should learn about the tradition and culture of a place before traveling to it,” one person wrote in an online discussion.

“Some foreigners do not know our traditions and culture. The supervisors are the ones to blame because it is their job to inform the tourists of the regulations,” said another online comment.

A security officer said the staff at the temple were unable to fully monitor all tourists because of the heavy influx of visitors during the New Year.

Normally, the officer said, staff would warn visitors about inappropriate pictures and ask them to immediately delete them from their cameras or phones.