Prominent Chiang Mai abbot’s shocking crash leaves trail of carnage

A revered Chiang Mai temple abbot crashed into eight vehicles, including six cars and two motorcycles, causing carnage and prompting netizens to question why he was wearing shorts. The abbot, known as Kru Ba, was travelling to visit his younger brother but ended up in a multi-vehicle pile-up.

A witness at the scene, Sakul, reported that the accident occurred around 7am, yesterday, May 29, in front of Building 30, nearby to where he was staying at Building 29. He heard a loud crash and saw the pick-up truck reversing into several cars with the engine still running. He approached the vehicle, turned it off, and saw an abbot in abbot’s attire sitting in the driver’s seat.

The abbot seemed disoriented and walked into Building 30 after getting out of the car. Sakul notified the security and police who then escorted the monk to the police station. The abbot’s disciples later arrived and cleared the damage by paying 100,000 baht to each vehicle owner for repairs and offered new motorcycles for the damaged ones.

The abbot explained that he came to find his younger brother who lived in the area, but did not manage to find him. He also mentioned that his purpose was to buy goods for an upcoming merit-making ceremony at his temple, Wat Phraphutthabat Si Roi, Mae Rim district. He further said that the incident occurred due to his chronic illness and anxiety from the situation. The abbot’s decision to wear shorts and make large payments for repairs caused considerable debate on social media, questioning whether it was the temple funds or his own money.

This revered abbot is Kru Ba Phrom Chai Piyawano, abbot of Wat Phraphutthabat Si Roi, in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai province. He is known to have various high-ranking officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, visit and make donations to his temple every year. With millions of baht donated each time and many government officials as followers, Kru Ba is highly respected among his devotees, who believe seeking his blessings leads to swift success, especially in terms of career advancement.

Monks and abbots behaving badly seem to be a common theme in Thailand. Read more about those bad boys HERE.