Bangkok graffiti vandals slammed for defacing Spanish artist’s mural
CCTV footage leads police to trio behind mural attack
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt condemned the three suspects responsible for vandalising a mural by Spanish artist in Soi Charoen Krung 30.
A follower of the popular Drama-addict Facebook page urged the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to expose the culprits who defaced the wall painting by Carolina Adán Caro, which is part of the Krung Thep Creative Street project in the Charoen Krung neighbourhood.
The project, a collaboration between the European Union in Thailand and the BMA, was launched to celebrate European Heritage Day 2025. The Embassy of Spain had just promoted the artwork on its official Facebook page on September 17.
Caro’s painting, titled Just Be You, depicts a woman with short curly black hair, wearing sunglasses and red lipstick, against a leopard-patterned background with blooming red flowers. The work reflected Caro’s distinctive portrait style.
Unfortunately, the mural was recently defaced with graffiti tags by unidentified vandals, prompting a public outcry on social media.
Today, September 29, Governor Chadchart and his team visited the scene and livestreamed their inspection of the damage. In a part of his statement on the damages, Chadchart said…
“This is not dignified. It is not something to be proud of; rather, it is shameful. If anyone witnesses such behaviour, they should immediately report it to the police. We have CCTV cameras, so don’t think you can get away with it.
“This is not about the nationality of the artist. The same action would be taken if it happened to any artist. We cannot accept this. It shows a lack of discipline and order.”
The governor acknowledged that some may consider graffiti tags a form of expression, but insisted that respect for other artists’ work must come first.
He added that anyone wishing to paint on public or private walls in Bangkok should obtain official permission from the BMA. A deputy governor will be tasked with coordinating with property owners willing to dedicate their walls to street art.
Officials confirmed that three suspects were involved in the vandalism, one of whom was already arrested. CCTV footage clearly captured their actions. The offenders face fines of up to 60,000 baht. Police are continuing their investigation to track down the remaining suspects.
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