TOURISTS are flocking to a Buddhist temple in Thailand – to see a golden statue of David Beckham.
Hundreds of thousands go to the Pariwat temple in the capital Bangkok to marvel at the images of holy Buddhist gods.
4
4
But amazingly at the base of one of the shrines is a statue of Goldenballs Beckham, now 44, in his Manchester United heyday.
The gold-painted statue shows a curtain-haired Becks in his Man U kit, legs spread akimbo as if posing for a team photo in his Old Trafford days.
And Buddhist pilgrims see no problem with former soccer God being brought off the bench to feature in their religion.
It was installed in 1999 when a football mad Thai sculptor decided he had to mark United’s stunning acheivement of wining the Treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
And today it has established itself as a tourist attraction in its won right.
Temple deputy abbot Boonreung Poonyawaro said:”The sculptor was a great Manchester fan and so he was allowed to incorporate Beckham into the shrine helping to hold up the altar.
“It adds an extra dimension for tourists and is now an attraction in its own right.
Tourist Thitima Munmai,who was snapping pictures of the statue with her phone said:”It fits in very well with the temple and helps to create a lot of interest amongst younger visitors.”
4
4
