Thai man with hoe wreaks havoc in Udon Thani temple

A Thai man wielding a hoe caused chaos at a temple in Udon Thani, damaging statues and claiming he was being followed. The village headman apprehended him and handed him over to the police for legal action.

A report emerged detailing an incident that occurred last night, July 25. Nirut Prommok, the headman of Ban Tat subdistrict, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani province, received a call from monks at Wat Non Thong Lang.

They reported that a man had entered the temple with a hoe and had smashed a Dharmachakra statue and other surrounding statues. After causing the damage, the man, who lived nearby, left the temple and returned to his home.

Upon arriving at the scene, the headman found the perpetrator, 45 year old Boonmee (surname withheld) digging up a tree in front of his house. When asked why he had destroyed the Dharmachakra statue, Boonmee responded that he had done it to pay for design fees, claiming that someone was constantly demanding payment.

He further explained that the Dharmachakra had been disturbing and following him, causing turmoil in his daily life. Boonmee suggested that everyone should contribute 30,000 baht each to cover the costs.

Headman Nirut then inspected the temple, where he found extensive damage to the Dharmachakra statue and a statue of Phra Sivali. This was not the first time Boonmee had committed such an act. During his previous attempt, there was insufficient evidence to hold him accountable. However, after the first incident, CCTV cameras were installed, capturing Boonmee’s actions this time.

Dharmachakra destruction

Boonmee admitted to using a small hammer during the first incident, which resulted in minor damage. This time, he had gone as far as bringing a hoe from his home to ensure the destruction of the Dharmachakra, which he believed was constantly following and knowing everything about him.

“The Dharmachakra is always following me and knows everything about my life. It’s terrifying. There are no Dharmachakras in the village, but there is one at my house, and it needs to be destroyed.”

After assessing the damage and reviewing the CCTV footage, Headman Nirut, along with his deputy, apprehended Boonmee at his home and brought him back to the scene of the vandalism. Boonmee was then handed over to the Dong Yen Police Station in Ban Dung district, Udon Thani province, where he was formally charged with property damage, reported KhaoSod.