Thai monk caught stealing beer from grocery stores in Isaan (video)

The Buddhist doctrines of Thailand were undermined once again by the so-called keepers of the faith when the owner of a grocery store in the Isaan province of Mukdahan exposed the thieving behaviour of a Thai monk who was caught on security camera stealing beer.

On May 30, the shop owner took to her Facebook account, Oom Phakhamon, to share videos of the theft. The videos showed the monk selecting beverages from a fridge and discreetly placing a can of beer into his robe before taking another beverage to the cashier to pay.

Three security cameras inside the store clearly captured the theft, and the owner also noticed the monk’s suspicious actions.

The owner reported that the monk arrived at the shop in a white SUV. She and her family suspected he might be a fake monk using the robe to scam people.

Buddhist doctrines prohibit monks from drinking alcohol and purchasing food or beverages. Monks are expected to consume only food offered by lay members and to avoid driving cars unless necessary.

The shop owner told Channel 7 that the monk appeared to be around 50 years old but she had never seen him at any nearby temples before.

Monk-ey around

While not disclosing whether she filed a police complaint, the owner stated that she shared the story on social media to warn others in the community about this monk.

Another grocery store owner shared the video of the same monk stealing from her store on social media. The owner revealed that she had seen the news and remembered that this monk had visited her shop twice. She decided to check the security camera footage and found the monk stealing alcohol from her shop.

The acting sub-district abbot is investigating to identify this monk and plans to force him to leave his monkhood for repeated thefts and alcohol consumption.

In a related story, a Thai monk in the Isaan province of Buriram was arrested in April after drinking alcohol and trying to enter the rooms of two nuns. The accused monk admitted to drinking alcohol but denied trying to enter the nuns’ rooms. The monk was eventually forced to leave the monastery.

Another monk was arrested in May after he avoided paying a 1,300 baht bill at a petrol station in Maha Sarakham province in the Isaan and crashed his car into several vehicles. After his arrest, officers found methamphetamine in his possession, and tests showed the drug was in his system.