Monk stabs fellow monk at temple in Rayong over alleged misunderstanding

Last night, an incident unfolded at a temple in the eastern province of Rayong where one monk stabbed another monk. The monk who carried out the act stated that he mistakenly believed the victim to be a potential thief.

Phe Police Station officers rushed to the unnamed temple at 10pm yesterday after being notified about the stabbing incident. Upon arrival, they spotted the injured monk named Bas sitting on the floor with blood pouring from his head and body.

Officers then coordinated with a rescue team to provide Bas first aid and transfer him to the hospital.

The preparator, 33 year old monk named Noppadon Kaewklom, presented himself to the police. He admitted to his action but insisted that the attack was motivated by a misunderstanding.

Noppadon said he left his accommodation to investigate an unusual noise and the persistent barking of a dog from behind his lodging. He grabbed a knife and walked around to find the origin of the noise.

As he approached the source of the commotion, Noppadon’s attention was drawn to a beam of light, cast by a flashlight. Navigating toward the light, he found himself confronted by two people. One was Bas and another unidentified person.

While he was speeding up to check, the unidentified person quickly disappeared. Noppadon inquired what the two were doing in the temple at night.

Bas reportedly responded abrasively, using coarse language and directed the flashlight at him. After he approached Bas, he questioned what he was doing and urged him to go back to sleep. Bas refused and allegedly punched him in the face.

When Bas attempted to punch him again, Noppadon said he stabbed Bas several times.

Bas then fled while Noppadon went to the abbot to report the incident, confessing that he had attacked his fellow monk. Noppadon insisted that he had no prior conflicts with Bas and asserted that he had not been under the influence of any drugs, which was proved by a negative drug test.

As the motive behind the attack is unclear, an officer reported he would conduct a further investigation into the case and question Bas when his injuries improve.