‘Not a gym’: Thai temple warns tourists not to do yoga, climb ancient rocks at place of worship
Officials at scared mountainside sanctuary threaten to close shrine to visitors permanently; online observers decry disrespect to Buddhism
A jungle temple in Thailand hailed as a “hidden gem” has urged tourists to stop “inappropriate behaviour” after they were spotted doing gymnastics and wearing revealing clothing at the site.
The Wat Pha Lat temple, nestled on a mountain above Chiang Mai in the country’s north, is a popular tourist spot. It also serves as a peaceful place for monks to meditate.
On January 15, the temple published a post on its social media account, which has 11,000 followers, urging its visitors to stop disrespectful behaviour.
“Wat Pha Lat is a Buddhist temple and a sacred sanctuary, not a recreational park or a gym,” the post says.
The temple issued the bilingual notice written in Thai and English after spotting inappropriate behaviour by visitors, such as acro yoga, climbing on ancient structures and wearing revealing clothes.