Crime
Monk arrested on drug charges, allegedly told police methamphetamine was a merit gift
Police arrested a 45 year old Buddhist monk for allegedly getting high on methamphetamine at a temple in the Isaan province Buriram. The monk allegedly told police that a follower gave him the drugs as a merit gift and convinced him to take it.
Satuek district police say they received a complaint from the Baan Kok Mueng temple’s abbot claiming that a monk at the temple was acting suspiciously and suspected the monk could be involved in illegal activities.
Police investigated the claims and had the monk, Thawatchai Konglert, do a urine drug test on the spot. Police say the Thawatchai tested positive for drugs and was then forced to leave the monkhood.
He allegedly told police that a follower had offered him the drugs, as well as the equipment to take the drugs, as a merit gift. Thawatchai allegedly told police that he refused the gift at first, but when his follower came back and persuaded him that it was a merit gift, he decided to take it.
Thawatchai has a history of drug use and became a monk to start a new life, according to Pattaya News. He had been arrested in the past for allegedly possessing 15 methamphetamine pills. The Pattaya News did not report on if he was convicted or when the previous arrest was.
SOURCE: Pattaya News
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Nipral
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Happy smiling junky monk !
Dirk
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 3:30 pm
Hmmm.. looking at the photo, both the police officer and the monk have the same “happy smile”.
Party buddies?
Randy
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 4:09 pm
He must be defrock without any delay….never to wear a buddhist rope again…Just brought shame to buddhism..
Disgusting and shameless Moron…without buddhism principals,Morals and precepts.
Ray
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Looks like he is still high at the time of arrest.
Jesus Monroe
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Looking like a very gifted monk……
brian mc
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 8:31 pm
He was misquoted, that is not what he said to police.
what he actually said was “whooooaaaaa maaaaannnnn I’m a strawberry, now watch me fly off the temple roof. Try the cookie, go on, you gotta try one, there faaar out dude. Maaaaan I’ve got munchies.”
Toby Andrews
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 11:36 pm
Another day, another monk is caught at something illegal.
It is about time that they started closing Wats.
They are nests of liars, cheats and perverts!!
Kim
Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 1:19 pm
“No-no-no, not my fault at all, my-friend-me gave me the drugs, go arrest him”
Another Thai adult male pushing the responsibility of his own choices onto someone else. On my TiT scale 1-10,this scores 10+
Tony
Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 3:48 pm
Next time a smugglers is caught coming over the border with a kilo of snort just say we are just transfeing merit to our friends in Thailand