A Chinese tourist was arrested for allegedly vandalising a shop in Thailand.

He Ma, 33, reportedly spray-painted cartoons and Chinese characters on the shutter doors of a pharmacy in Chiang Mai province at around midnight on February 6.

CCTV footage shows the holidaymaker in a black shirt and grey trousers walking on the storefront before taking out a can of spray paint from his pocket.

He then crouched down and graffitied the roller door with the phrase 'Come here tomorrow, see you again here' in Chinese, before he was caught by the owner.

Police arrived at the scene after receiving a report. They detained the tourist and seized three spray paint cans.

Colonel Prachya Tisla, superintendent of the Chiang Mai City police station, said: ‘The perpetrator is Mr. He Ma, a 33-year-old Chinese tourist. He had arrived in Chiang Mai on January 30.

'During questioning, the suspect claimed to be an artist. He travelled around the city and saw spray paint on the walls of many shops, so he thought that he could do the same. He bought spray paint cans and graffitid many places, including the Lanna pharmacy and Siam pharmacy along Ratch Chiang Saen Road.'

Police charged He Ma with 'damage to property', which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a maximum fine of 60,000 baht (1,400 GBP), or both, under Section 358 of the Thai Criminal Code.

Provincial police commander Police Major General Yuthana Kaenchan warned that vandalism on homes, private property, government offices, temples or tourist attractions, is punishable by law.

Chinese nationals are the largest group of foreign tourists to Thailand as both nations inked a mutual visa exemption agreement in March 2024.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra last week visited China to discuss economic and trade ties. The trip came amid growing security concerns among Chinese tourists amid a spate of call centre scams in the Southeast Asian country.

The Thai premier had said: 'You know, the prime minister of Thailand has Chinese blood in her. I guarantee that it's going to be very safe for Chinese people.'

(1 GBP = 41.99 THB)