Hundreds of porn DVDs discovered in ex-temple abbot’s quarters spark outrage

Villagers in Nakhon Ratchasima province were shocked when they discovered hundreds of porn DVDs hidden in a former abbot’s residence at a local temple.

The 73 year old former abbot had been expelled from the temple by the villagers on February 19, due to inappropriate behaviour, financial mismanagement, and alleged misconduct with female devotees in a washroom.

The villagers demanded a review of the punishment as they believed the former abbot’s actions were unacceptable. In response, the district chief, Sophon Pariyattivithan, set up a committee to investigate the three main concerns: the former abbot being in the washroom with female devotees, viewing porn DVDs, and financial mismanagement. Following the investigation, it was concluded that no wrongdoings were found regarding these three main concerns, reported KhaoSod.

With regard to the washroom incident, the former abbot admitted that he did enter the washroom, but only to instruct a female devotee to clean up the area due to a blocked drain. He also explained that he was not fully dressed because of a health condition that had caused sores on his buttocks. Moreover, he denied ever watching porn DVDs, stating that he only viewed a video about Buddha’s life. Concerning the financial management, the former abbot explained that payment had been made for labour and materials for painting temple walls.

However, the villagers remained unconvinced and suspicious. When they cleaned the former abbot’s residence, they found more than 100 porn DVDs hidden away. This led to further criticism of the former abbot’s conduct and a belief that he had been collecting adult material for a long time.

The villagers expressed their disappointment in the district chief’s investigation, as they thought it deviated from the truth and may have protected the former abbot, despite the presence of clear evidence against him. As a result, villagers called for the former abbot to be stripped of his monastic status and demanded the district chief review the punishment once again.