Major drama! A well-known page exposes a group of hired photographers at Wat Arun who allegedly seize public space to open a "Photo Studio" for Chinese tourists, and then act aggressively toward Thais who tried to warn them. Netizens rush to share similar experiences and question who truly has the right over temple grounds.
Today (10 Aug.), a heated controversy erupted online when the popular page CSI LA published a post exposing the behaviour of a group of hired photographers in the area of Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan. The page owner had returned to Thailand and taken their daughters, dressed in traditional Thai costumes, to take photos at the temple — only to encounter a group of photographers who behaved aggressively and claimed the right to cordon off the area.
The popular page stated that these hired photographers had converted certain spots inside Wat Arun into a "private Photo Studio" primarily serving Chinese tourists. They cordoned off the areas and told other visitors that they had to "queue," when in reality they were reserving public space exclusively for their own clients. When someone went to warn them, the photographers responded with aggressive behaviour and foul language.
The page also raised observations about the problem at a structural level, noting that part of the issue stems from locals granting special or premium privileges — or turning a blind eye to public rules — in exchange for personal benefit, until a distorted norm emerges that "whoever pays more has more rights," even though the temple and these areas are public spaces where everyone should have equal rights.
After the post was published, large numbers of netizens and Thai tourists came to share comments and similar experiences, such as: "There are so many of them — standing and posing, swishing fabric, opening and closing parasols, shooting couples and solo shots. Wherever there's a good photo spot, just forget it — other tourists can't get a shot. I felt like there were so many of them that Wat Arun has become more of a photo-shoot location than an actual temple," and "I went there with friends. We queued at that very spot hoping to get the same angle, but a photographer cut in. It felt like the area was seized for just one group — basically, if you don't hire their photographer, you're not getting that shot," and "They charge an admission fee to the temple, but then there's a mafia blocking you from taking photos. The Revenue Department should audit the income of this photographer gang," and "Notify the police and the Ministry of Culture to come and inspect. This mafia is ruining the image and disturbing tourists shamelessly. If services are to be offered, the temple itself should manage the system, with fees going to the temple, so there is proper order," and "In Shanghai, China, there are photographers too, but they don't interfere with tourists excessively — because there are police supervising and regulating there at all times…," and "That area falls under the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Navy, the naval forces, Admin," and "Everything about this is a business — a black-market business," and "They must be paying someone heavily. When you file a complaint about these things, it goes quiet or disappears for a bit, and then starts up again."
