Nong Ket Yai Temple in Pattaya is not a royal monastery, nor is it one of the must-visit temples in Thailand. That said, it probably shouldn’t be covered with stickers either.
The temple, which dates back to the late 1700s, has developed an unfortunate reputation among Chinese and Vietnamese tourists — that affixing stickers to its two century-old surfaces will bring them good luck.
The sticky issue made headlines in Thai media today, after locals around the temple expressed their concerns to the press.
Thongdee Saelee, a caretaker at the temple, said tourists mostly arrive in groups and each of them would receive a sticker to put on themselves so they can be identified by their tour guide, Sanook reported.
But before leaving the temple, tourists have taken to removing their stickers and placing them on a variety of temple surfaces.
In a compromise, Thongdee said the temple has prepared an area for Chinese tourists to affix their stickers, but at this point, many are still opting to place stickers on the pillars of the temple’s main hall or even the surrounding trees.
Staff have been peeling stickers off, but are having a hard time keeping up with the vast numbers of stickers left daily.
Thongdee said that they have now put up a large board with a message asking tourists to please affix their stickers to it. The temple is also asking guides to educate their tour groups on why it’s not such a great idea, though Thongdee believes it will take awhile for the trend to finally die down.
Reader Interactions