Monk cops out royally

TAK: While impersonating a policeman for personal gain is nothing new in Thailand, one monk in Mae Sot who thought he may have picked the wrong career took it one step further over the Songkran holidays.

The monk not only claimed to be a high-ranking policeman, but also a member of the royal family and a representative of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

Phramahasamat, known as Samat Saengsai before his ordination, marched into Mae Sot Police Station in full uniform on April 15, demanding a police escort car during his participation in a Songkran procession.

Phramahasamat, 29, told officers that he was a police major attached to the Bureau of the Royal Household and also a mom luang, a descendant of Thai royalty.

Phramahasamat showed the officers his police ID card, identifying him as Mom Luang Pol Maj Kritaphol Kasemsri.

ML Pol Maj Kritaphol Kasemsri’s story was given extra credence by the fact that he drove to the police station in a Toyota Yaris with a ror yor lor registration plate, indicating it was a royal vehicle.

Col Phatsawat Tangjui, superintendent of Mae Sot Police Station, was unconvinced by the distinguished guest, however.

He asked to have another look at his police ID card and registration plates for the royal Yaris. On closer examination, both documents proved to be forgeries.

After a few minutes of awkward questioning, ML Pol Maj Kritaphol admitted that he was neither a police officer nor a royal descendant. In fact, he was actually just a country monk from Wat Srisanga Prachathamm in Roi-Et’s Selaphum district.

Phramahasamat told police that he had always dreamed of becoming a policeman, but had never been able to quite make the grade. With the path to a career in law enforcement closed to him, he opted to become a cleric instead.

As for the “royal car”, Phramahasamat said that one of his many followers in Roi-Et had donated it to the temple.

Before his arrest, Phramahasamat had been touring around the countryside, celebrating Songkran with the locals and claiming to be a representative of the Bureau of the Royal Household out on tour.

Phramahasamat was charged with impersonating a police officer, forging official documents and forging a royal car registration document.

There was no report of what action the Buddhist council of Roi-Et would take.