Offenders’ heads shaved in lieu of criminal charges

PHUKET: Two Isaan men had their hair shaved off as punishment for fishing in a pond at a temple in Chalong on Sunday morning.

Kunnakorn Srikoon, 29, and Wanit Panthina, 30, were caught with fishing equipment and a turtle inside Wat Ladthiwanaram (Wat Tai) where people release fish and turtles to make merit.

Supawathakan Kunlauk of Chalong Municipality and Chalong Police officers were called to witness the punishment doled out by the temple’s abbot.

In addition to shaving their heads, Mr Kunnakorn and Mr Wanit were made to swear never to do it again and told they would die (presumably by divine intervention) within 3-7 days, if they broke that promise.

The two were then made to listen to a sermon about sin instead of being taken to the police station for legal processing.

The abbot said he believed this punishment would “reform them for life” and that “as a New Year’s gift, this was better than filing legal charges”.

— Winai Sarot