Monk and man trade punches over food offerings at Nonthaburi market
Witnesses say monk refuses to share food received as alms with man in need
Police arrested a Thai man after he was caught in a physical altercation with a monk at a market in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok on Saturday, October 25.
Officers from the Charlie Base Radio Centre received a report of an assault on the monk at around 7.30am. The incident took place outside Phichai Market in the Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi. Only the monk was present when officers arrived at the scene.
Witnesses told police that the 31 year old man who attacked the monk lived in a house about one kilometre away from the market. Police tracked him down before detaining and transferring him to Pak Kret Police Station for questioning.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from outside the market and found that the monk, in fact, started the fight. The man in the red shirt was seen asking the monk to share some of the food offerings he had received, but the monk refused and told the man to stay away.
The man persisted and greeted the monk with a wai, but the monk suddenly punched him in the face. The man retaliated by striking the monk in the mouth, knocking him to the ground.
Witnesses then intervened to separate the two, causing a brief commotion. Shortly after, the man in the red shirt fled the scene.
Witnesses added that the monk often comes to the area for morning alms, while the attacker appeared mentally unstable and was speaking incoherently.
Police said the suspect is currently being held in custody at Pak Kret Police Station for further investigation. The injured monk has not yet filed an official complaint.
A similar but more violent incident was reported last week when a 70 year old man fatally stabbed a monk in the central province of Nakhon Pathom. The fatal attack was reportedly driven by annoyance as the monk kept a large number of pet cats.
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