Polish tourists apologize for wearing sunbathing costumes at Chiang Mai temple

By Hoang Phong January 18, 2024 | 11:53 pm PT

A photo shared on Thai social media shows two women sunbathe on a grass land at Wat Chiang Man pagoda in Chiang Mai.

Two Polish female tourists have expressed their regret and apologized to Thai residents for sunbathing on grass at a Chiang Mai Temple, an act that sparked public criticism.

Photos of the two women lying on the grass in bikinis at Wat Chiang Man ancient pagoda went viral on social media, with many Thais criticizing them.

Built in 13th century, Wat Chiang Man is considered the oldest temple in Chiang Mai and a popular sacred spiritual site in Thailand which has the world’s second largest Buddhist population after China, with approximately 64 million Buddhists.

Police on Tuesday tracked down the two foreign women and found them carrying Polish nationality.

The women, aged 19-20, told the police they were unaware such behavior was against Thai culture and apologized for their actions, Khaosod English newspaper reported.

The duo also thanked the police for telling them what they should and should not do in Thai temples.

Police also pledged to put information signs in the area to prevent future incidents, Thaiger reported.

Recently, photos of two foreign women sunbathing in bikini costumes in front of Bangkok's Grand Palace used to host royal traditional ceremonies also triggered a wave of outcry from the Thai public.