Nong Plalai residents are blaming Chinese tourists for cutting branches off a tree they consider sacred and plastering stickers all over temple grounds.
Locals around Nong Ket Yai Temple complained to the abbot about the pruned tree as well as stickers plastered within shrines.
Although those complaining didn’t see the perpetrators, they blamed Chinese visitors, claiming Thais would never do such a thing.
The stickers found were indeed those worn by members of Chinese tour groups.
Thus the Chinese got the blame also for cutting back “mahasajan’ plants and a supposedly “lucky” tree.
Thongdee Chaeli, a resident who looks after the temple, told reporters that the Modern James Co. is running a tour business and brings in a lot of tourists to the temple, with the majority being Chinese.
Apparently the tourists think that putting stickers on the tree will bring them luck and it was tolerated before. However, things got out of hand lately as not all of them tend to listen and the sticker plastering has gotten out of control.
