Briton paints a smile on neighbors’ faces with Sutthawat Temple spruce-up

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A British man earned buckets of “likes” both online and from his neighbors after he volunteered to paint dirty walls at Sutthawat Temple.

Terry Smith, 77, was found Dec. 18 still putting an eggshell-yellow coat of paint at the Nongprue Sub-district temple shortly after a video of him starting the project went viral on the Internet, generating many “likes” and praise. His Thai wife sat nearby providing emotional support.

Briton Terry Smith takes a break from painting the wall at Sutthawat Temple to smile for a photo.Briton Terry Smith takes a break from painting the wall at Sutthawat Temple to smile for a photo.

Neighbors and locals who saw the video clip also came out to show support while also bringing snacks and drinks and asking him to pose for a photo.

Smith said he is married to a Thai woman and converted to Buddhism. They stay in Pattaya at a vacation house several months and, recently, he noticed that the walls of Sutthawat Temple were black and dirty.

So Smith asked for permission from the abbot to paint the wall. The job was expected to take several days. He said he volunteered to make merit and provide a holiday gift to local residents.