Police are hunting a tourist who was seen allegedly spray painting a building in northern Thailand.

The male holidaymaker sparked outrage when he clambered onto the second floor of an abandoned building to reportedly vandalise its facade in the early hours of January 21.

Footage shows the tourist standing on an awning as he sprayed his graffiti tag onto the second-floor grilles. He carried on defacing the building as stunned onlookers watched from the street.

Residents were furious when they saw the building later in the morning with its roller doors and walls covered in ugly grey-and-black bubble writing.

Local media reported that houses, shops, traffic lights, electric boxes, and utility poles across Chiang Mai have been targeted with graffiti, affecting its bid to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Officers said they have launched an investigation into the incident following reports from furious locals.

A police spokesman said: 'While CCTV cameras monitor and help us prosecute offenders in public areas under our jurisdiction, the municipality cannot take legal action against vandals who graffiti private property, shops, or residences.

'It is necessary for property owners to file a police report, resulting in some abandoned or unattended areas becoming targets for such incidents.'

Police said they were reviewing security footage around the abandoned building to track down the tourist, who could face charges under the 'Act on the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country'. The offence is punishable with a fine of up to 5,000 baht (118 GBP).

In February 2025, a Chinese tourist was arrested for allegedly vandalising a shop in the same province.

He Ma, 33, reportedly spray-painted cartoons and Chinese characters on the shutter doors of a pharmacy before he was detained by police with three spray paint cans.

The tourist claimed he was an artist and was imitating the graffiti he had seen across Chiang Mai city.