Nuns’ beach trip raises questions about discipline and donations
Nuns claim vacation, wig wearing, and karaoke singing approved by officials
Nuns from a temple in the central province of Samut Sakhon admitted to wearing wigs and going on a beach trip, following an online scandal. However, they insisted that they received permission from the National Office of Buddhism.
The Facebook page CSI LA shared photos yesterday, May 20, showing the nuns dressed up, wearing wigs, and enjoying themselves at the beach and during karaoke, in an attempt to expose what it described as inappropriate behaviour. The page stated…
“Nuns from the renowned Ketumadee Sriwararam Temple went to the sea, sang songs, dressed up, wore wigs, took photos with tomboys, and failed to maintain their modesty.
The question is, are these the proper practices of celibates? Is there no one monitoring or inspecting their behaviour? What are the true objectives behind the merit-making activities and donations at this temple? All the photos were taken in February 2020.”
In the images, the women, reported to be nuns, were dressed in their usual attire, rather than the traditional all-white robes typically worn during a Dhamma retreat. Most wore hats or turbans, which the page claimed were used to conceal their identities as nuns.
The images were reportedly shared in a private LINE group chat, with accounts named “Nun Sa from Wat Ketumadee” and “Nun Thip from Wat Ketumadee.” The LINE accounts confirmed that they were indeed nuns from the temple.
The page further alleged that the group of nuns raised over 100 million baht through donation campaigns at the temple and played key roles in temple activities, particularly those involving financial matters.
According to the page, each nun received a special bonus at the end of the year and was permitted to dress up and enjoy a holiday trip, as seen in the photos.
One of the nuns pictured, Sirinthip, confirmed in an interview with Channel 7 that she and other nuns did indeed travel to the southern province of Phetchaburi for a beach trip.
Sirinthip claimed that before the trip, they conducted a ceremony to temporarily suspend the eight precepts of a Buddhist nun. She also stated that they obtained permission from the National Office of Buddhism for the vacation.
She added that the expenses for the trip came from their personal funds and were not connected to temple donations. In her case, she claimed the money came from the sale of her land.
As of now, the National Office of Buddhism and relevant authorities have not yet commented on whether permission for the vacation was officially granted, nor have they announced any investigation into the matter.
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