The public toilet in Brunssum, in the Netherlands, has been attracting attention for all the wrong reasons when Facebook users Anuchit Pomthong (a Thai living in Brunssum) and Nok Ja shared the photo of the toilet online.
It went viral with many online users expressing outrage at the use of the prized image in such a negative way.
Thailand’s Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Culture Prof Dr Apinan Posayanon told Thai Rath newspaper yesterday (January 22) that the Thai people living in the area first complained to the Brunssum authorities, asking them to remove the toilet, or at the very least remove the image.
Authorities in Thailand saw the photo on Facebook, and then contacted the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok to explain the grief the revered Buddha image being placed on the toilet had created.
Today (January 23), the Netherlands Embassy in Thailand made a public apology on its Facebook page.
They have been in contact with the company, Boels, who made the toilet and Boels has apologised and promised to remove the Buddha images as soon as possible.
Boels also announced on its own Facebook page, “We have produced this “Bio Box” toilet without thinking it would damage or insult any religion or group of people.”