Man allegedly urinates on Buddha statue and places underwear on it in Thai temple

A man in Thailand has allegedly vandalised a Buddhist temple by urinating inside a sacred area and placing his underwear over a Buddha statue, reportedly in an act of retaliation after being unhappy with the handling of an earlier case involving damage to temple property.

The incident took place on 18 August at Wat Sra Khet in Songkhla province, according to local media reports. The matter came to light after a temple visitor noticed something unusual inside the temple’s Rattana Chedi and reported the discovery online.

Photographs shared from the scene showed a pair of black underwear placed over part of the Buddha statue’s ceremonial clothing. Urine stains were also reportedly found near the statue, leaving monks and worshippers shocked by the alleged act.

Temple suspects repeat offender behind latest incident

Temple representatives said the suspect was believed to be a local man who had previously been involved in a separate incident involving damage to temple property.

A monk identified as Phra Arthachai Prinyano said the man had stayed inside the chedi area around two months earlier. On that occasion, temple staff reportedly asked him to leave, explaining that the area was not a place for accommodation.

The monk claimed the man returned the following day and damaged several items inside the temple, including offerings, flower containers and other religious objects. Some items belonging to monks were also allegedly damaged, with ashes from stored remains scattered during the incident.

Following the earlier incident, the monk reported the matter to police. However, authorities reportedly said there was insufficient evidence to pursue a theft-related charge, although action was taken regarding alleged property damage and intimidation.

The man was later released, and temple officials believe the latest incident may have been an attempt to return and cause further disruption.

Temple requests stronger security measures after alleged vandalism

Phra Arthachai said the latest incident occurred at around 5pm, when the man allegedly covered the Buddha statue’s head and ceremonial clothing with underwear before urinating inside the worship area.

He said he was deeply disturbed after seeing what had happened and requested police assistance to inspect the temple and improve security measures.

Although the temple’s abbot reportedly hoped the matter could be resolved peacefully without further escalation, other monks expressed concerns over their safety.

Phra Arthachai said he was responsible for opening and closing the temple and regularly patrolling the premises. He added that concerns were heightened because the suspect was allegedly known to have possessed weapons in the past.

A temple visitor who discovered the incident said he entered the chedi area while preparing to switch off lights and close the temple gates when he noticed a strong smell of urine.

After checking the area, he discovered the alleged vandalism and took photographs as evidence before informing relevant authorities.

Police have yet to announce further details regarding the investigation. The incident has sparked discussion online over security at religious sites and the protection of places of worship from acts of vandalism.