Prachin Buri monk massage clip draws scrutiny as family complains
Police and religious officials in Prachin Buri are investigating a social media dispute after a clip posted yesterday, February 22, showed a monk being massaged by a woman at a private home in Wang Dan subdistrict, Kabin Buri district.
The video was shared by the Facebook page หมอปลาช่วยด้วย, along with a caption claiming that the woman massaging the monk was neither the monk’s mother nor a relative.
The post drew a wide range of comments, with some users arguing the monk could be unwell and receiving treatment, while others questioned whether a female masseuse was appropriate.
Following the post, reporters visited the residence where 21 year old factory worker Parichat lives with her parents, Thongsai and Amphorn, who run a bamboo yard.
Parichat reportedly recorded the clip at home on February 20 and identified the monk as Phra Samruay, who she said is staying at a temple in Krok Sombun, Si Maha Phot. She said he regularly visited the house with two other monks, and that her mother knew him through dealings over bamboo and land sales.
Parichat said she recorded the clip because she could no longer tolerate the monks visiting frequently and staying for hours, sometimes arriving after alms rounds to eat and rest until evening.
This affected her ability to rest after working a morning shift and made it difficult for her to manage errands because the monks were sitting and lying inside the home.
What she found most unacceptable was that Phra Samruay allowed a woman to massage him at the house. In Theravada Buddhism (prevalent in Thailand), monks are strictly prohibited from touching women, as part of the ancient Vinaya code of monastic discipline.
She wanted him and the other monks to stop visiting, and that she would prefer he leave monkhood altogether, insisting monks should stay at a temple rather than a private home.
Phra Samruay would also allegedly call her mother to request specific dishes, invite her out to eat at places he liked, and say he had previously had nine wives. She added that he told a grandchild the child’s mother looked like his wife.
Parichat and her sister had reportedly asked officials to investigate, but when they sought to inspect Phra Samruay’s monk identification document, he refused, saying they had no right. She then posted the issue online and asked the media to help.
The abbot of the temple where Phra Samruay is staying said that he was aware of the issue after Amphorn visited him. He said Amphorn told him she was close to and respected the monk, and that her daughter may have misunderstood the situation.
The abbot insisted that Phra Samruay had not done anything damaging, and added that while he did not know the monk’s background, the temple confirmed he was a monk before allowing him to stay.
However, the abbot said Phra Samruay is not under the temple’s administration yet, and that where he goes is his own decision. He added that any wrongdoing would be a personal matter and not the temple’s responsibility, reported Khaosod.
Parichat’s sister said that Warin Sikkhachat, director of the Prachin Buri Provincial Office of Buddhism, had been informed and would coordinate with the clergy before visiting the area.
Elsewhere, a widely shared clip has put a prominent abbot at a well-known Chiang Rai temple under scrutiny after it appeared to show him in an intimate video call with another man, prompting calls for his resignation. Early inquiries suggest the video may have been leaked amid jealousy and a falling-out between those involved.
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