Speaking to the Sun Online, his mother Michelle Furlong, 46, said Lee had been in an “emotional” state after hearing his 70-year-old gran had been placed in a hospice due to a serious condition.
In an emotional interview she said this had caused him to go out, get drunk and “do this stupid thing”.
Lee Furlong, 23, is also facing a fine of up to £23,500 for vandalising the 800-year-old Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai, on which he sprayed "Scousse Lee" – a misspelling of "Scouse Lee".
His mother also said Lee suffers from a genetic condition called tuberous sclerosis which caused epilepsy, mood swings and benign tumours on his brain.
She said the family were “devastated” by what had happened.
Lee Furlong and Canadian Brittney Schneider, both 23, were arrested at the Mad Monkey Hostel in Chiang Mai on Thursday.
Michelle said: "Lee’s condition has caused learning difficulties and behavioural issues in the past.
“He doesn’t think in the same way you or I do and his emotions can sometimes be all over the place.
“Having this condition changes your personality. Unfortunately, hearing about his dying gran caused him to go out and get drunk and spray-paint the wall.
“I'm devastated it’s happened in a historic place. If I could go over to Thailand and clean it off myself then I would.
“I would also apologise to everyone he’s offended. That’s not how he was brought up but he’s done a stupid thing.”
Lee, who’d been working as a gardener in Kent, had been in Thailand since September 23 and was due to fly home on Sunday.
Michelle said Lee had been travelling with a friend but they had split up for the last two weeks.
She believed the Canadian woman he was arrested with was staying in the same hostel as he was in Chiang Mai.
Her family had to borrow money to pay Lee’s £3,500 bail and she’d last spoken to him earlier today.
“Lee’s mortified by what’s happened and so stressed. But he doesn’t know how to verbalise it all,” she said.
“We’d love to get him home but he’s been told to stay in Thailand until his next court date.
"At the moment he’s got no solicitor and we’ve been told he could face a maximum of 10 years in jail.
“We were sent a list of bi-lingual solicitors but the British Embassy said they couldn’t recommend any of them. Fortunately, a Thai girl who knows Lee’s friend has been helping to look after him.
Lee's court hearing is currently scheduled for two weeks time.
“We aren’t in a good financial position to deal with it all, to be honest. It’s the last thing we wanted.”
Michelle said the trip was Lee’s first abroad alone and she and her husband Andy, 48, had worries how he would cope.
“We thought he’d got through it, with him due home on Sunday,” she said.
“This is something we never expected to deal with, I am just clueless about what to do.”
Speaking to The Sun Online earlier today, Lee said the prank had been "very stupid.
He said: "I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing. I found the spray on the side of the road. I regret it all.”
he admitted he'd been "drinking all day" and said he was "blind drunk" when he picked up the can at 4am yesterday.
Officers frogmarched the pair to the site – which had already been cleaned – where they confessed to the crime.
The Tha Phae gate is part of a crumbling wall that was built in the 13th century as a fortress to protect the city of Chiang Mai.
It is the centre of tourism in the bustling northern city and popular with backpackers, being surrounded by bars, restaurants, hotels, markets, massage parlours and shops.
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