The monks however did deliver a stern morals lecture much as you'd expect a priest or rabbi to do in the same situation.
Buddhism has become to this generation what Hinduism was to the hippies: a convenient Exotic Spirituality to identify with in self-loathing protest against one's own Judeo-Christian background, without understanding how the real faith is practiced in the countries that fully embrace it.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who hopes the pageant will give Thailand's tsunami-hit tourist industry a badly-needed boost, has urged Thais not to overreact.
Thailand has spent 265 million baht ($6.7 million) on hosting the event and expects to earn 3.2 billion baht ($80.4 million) in revenue from the pageant and other activities.
"I think they did not intend to insult Thai culture. They just wanted to shoot pictures of beautiful places but did not realiz that the temple is sacred for Thais," he said.
Some Thais are also wondering what the fuss is all about.
"We wanted to promote our tourism industry, right? If we want tourists to come to Thailand, then let them see it," said a university student on an Internet chat site