Thai monk resigns after secret filming reveals misconduct (video)

A monk in Suphan Buri has been reportedly filmed engaging in behaviour contrary to Buddhist religious principles, leading to his resignation from the monastic order and departure from the province. The revelation came from a Facebook page called Humans of Suphan Buri (เล่าเรื่องเมืองสุพรรณ) which shared a video clip provided by a concerned citizen.

The video allegedly shows the monk, who is the abbot of a well-known temple, performing his morning alms rounds but later changing into layman’s clothes in the evening and spending nights at a woman’s house until dawn. The page accompanied the video with a message:

“A follower sent this in. The abbot of a very famous temple here goes on alms rounds in the morning, but by evening, he is dressed as a layman and spends the night at a woman’s house until dawn. There is solid evidence to back this up.”

The Facebook page has called for the monk to disrobe and live his preferred lifestyle outside the monastic community to preserve the sanctity of the religious institution. It stressed that there are still many Buddhists who hold deep faith in the Triple Gem and that such behaviour tarnishes the reputation of the monastic order.

“We urge the monk to disrobe and live the life he prefers. Let’s not let the monastic order’s reputation be further tarnished. There are still many Buddhists who have faith in the Triple Gem.”

The page updated at 3.06pm, confirming that the monk had agreed to disrobe and had left the province, reported KhaoSod.

In related news, police raided a temple in Loei province and arrested a monk caught with methamphetamine hidden in his quarters. The monk was immediately defrocked and charges have been filed.

In other news, a Buddhist monk was defrocked after being discovered by concerned residents driving a van and enjoying seaside views at Na Jomtien Beach in Sattahip on July 2.