Vandalism to art … and tourists

On the night of October 31, a group of teenagers spray-painted graffiti on a wall of esteemed Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai’s Muang district. A famous attraction in the northern region, Wat Rong Khun is an ornate white Buddhist temple that Chalermchai helped design and build in 1997.

In 2011, Chalermchai was named a national artist for his painting.

In a live Facebook video, Chalermchai announced that he was seeking those behind the graffiti and invited them to return to finish the work. He also ordered temple staffers to clear the area of any garbage and weeds to facilitate the “artists” as they went about their work.

After the video went viral, three teenagers reportedly showed up and finished their project on the wall. Chalermchai also gave the youths 10,000 baht in cash for them to buy art supplies.

Already, the wall has become a new landmark in Chiang Rai, attracting local and foreign tourists who are pouring in to take selfies with the graffiti.

The project, from start to finish, was recorded by Narintron Tamas, a student of Chalermchai, who posted all the videos and photos on his Facebook @mr.mtelecom on Thursday.