ABOVE: The White Temple’s “Golden Toilet” has become a destination it its own right. Photo: Thanate Tan
An acclaimed national artist briefly banned Chinese tourists from his famous “White Temple” in Chiang Rai last week.
Chalermchai Kositpipat ordered all Chinese tourists turned away on Feb. 3 from the ornate temple he’s spent two decades working on one day after a woman reportedly placed dirty toilet paper inside the tank of one of its “golden toilets.”
According to Chinese media reports, the woman’s refusal to remove the dirty tissue and clean up the toilet was Chalermchai’s breaking point following what was described as routine misuse of the gilded restroom facilities.
By afternoon, Chalermchai had relented and permitted Chinese visitors to enter the popular tourist destination, but said their tour guides would have to clean the toilets in case of any bad behavior.
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