Decadent novice monk accused of dressing as woman, selling sex, and partying in nightclubs

Another case of monks behaving badly again emerged in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen after residents accused a young novice of dressing up as a woman, selling sex to other novices and monks in the temple and partying in nightclubs. The abbot of the temple has been accused of turning a blind eye to the novice’s decadent activities.

A Facebook page, E-Sor News (อีซ้อขยี้ข่าว) shared an image of the novice in question seated fastening a black bra around his chest. Accompanying the image, the caption reads…

“Dressing up like a girl, providing sex services, and hunting for men. Having sex with other monks and novices in the temple. Locals complained to the abbot who knows everything but ignores it. Some monks and novices in the temple are also curious about the issue. Why has no one done anything? A royal monastery in Khon Kaen.”

Channel 3 interviewed locals living nearby the temple about the issue. The locals identified the novice featured in the picture as J, confirming that he indeed has been contravening the rules of Thai Buddhism, as mentioned in the Facebook post.

According to the locals, the novice always dressed up like a woman at night and went out of the temple to party in nightclubs. He also had sex with other monks and novices in the temple both for free and for money. Locals reported the issue to the abbot, but he ignored it.

As of now, the National Office of Buddhism has not provided any response or taken any action in response to the matter. Additionally, the name of the temple remains undisclosed. The abbot presumably hopes the issue will disappear.

A similar accusation against Buddhist priests was reported two years ago. A young monk in the Isaan province of Nong Khai was accused of dressing up as a woman and drinking alcohol at parties at night. An investigation into the accusation was conducted and similarly, no development has been reported.

During the same year, 2021, another monk from a well-known temple in the southern province of Songkhla was caught boozing with a woman on the beach. He changed his outfit from orange robes to normal attire but he did not escape police attention.

In February this year, a novice from a temple in the northern province of Chaing Mai apologised to the public for wearing a yellow hat and purple scarf which was considered violating the religious rules.

The novice was also accused of having sex with a man at an accommodation on the temple premises, something he denied.

These examples are only the tip of the iceberg. The decadent nature of Thai monks is a long one.