Police called after Japanese man disrupts Udon Thani temple

A Japanese man startled monks at a Udon Thani temple yesterday, December 25, after bursting in and asking to be cleansed of his sins, causing police to intervene.

The incident occurred yesterday at Sri Khun Muang Temple, also known locally as Wat Ban Lao, in Mak Khaeng subdistrict of Mueang district, when monks contacted the provincial 191 emergency centre to report a foreign man causing distress inside the temple. Local police coordinated with administrative officers and tourist police before arriving to assess the situation.

At the scene, officers found a 38 year old Japanese national, later identified as Naoto Yamaguchi. A search of his bag uncovered cannabis along with equipment used for smoking it, raising further concerns about his behaviour inside the temple.

Using a translation application to communicate, Yamaguchi told officers he had come to the temple because he felt overwhelmed by guilt and wanted monks to help cleanse him of his sins. He admitted to regularly using cannabis after drinking alcohol and following arguments or physical altercations as a way to relieve stress, adding that he had most recently consumed it the night before the incident.

Police checks also revealed that the man had previously been involved in a theft case at an apartment complex and was currently required to report to probation officers. He was subsequently taken into custody and transferred to Mueang Udon Thani police station to face charges of causing a public disturbance.

Before being taken to the station, Yamaguchi knelt down and bowed deeply in apology before the monks at the temple.

One monk, Phra Apisit, later said the Japanese man had visited the temple on several occasions in the past and was able to communicate in limited English, although he mostly spoke Japanese. He was known to live in an apartment near the temple and had not previously caused any trouble, though his behaviour on this occasion was unexpected.

The monk added that police had been called mainly to help clarify the man’s intentions, which only became clear later when it emerged that he had simply wanted to confess his wrongdoing, reported Khaosod.

In a separate temple disruption, a foreign man accidentally rode his motorcycle straight into a temple pond in Pattaya, giving locals a good laugh after Thai monks came to his rescue.