Chai Nat monk's 'gun' at hospital was phone case

Police were called to a hospital in Mueang Chai Nat on 10 August after visitors reported that a monk waiting for medicine appeared to be carrying a handgun.

The apparent weapon turned out to be a plastic imitation gun attached to the monk's mobile phone case. Officers told him to remove it, confiscated it and warned that it had caused alarm among people at the hospital.

At 10.10am, officers from Mueang Chai Nat Police Station responded to the report at the front of the hospital's medicine collection room.

They found Phra Preeda Bunchuen, a monk from a temple in Neun Kham district, Chai Nat, sitting and waiting to receive his medication after a medical appointment.

Replica gun caused alarm

A shiny gun grip was visible from a bag worn inside the monk's robe, prompting concern among a large number of people using the hospital.

However, when officers examined the item, it was found to be a fake plastic gun decoration fixed to a phone case rather than a real firearm.

Picture courtesy of Amarin

Police had Phra Preeda remove the imitation gun from the case before taking it away. They warned him that displaying such an object could frighten members of the public, even if there was no intention to do so.

Phra Preeda said he had come to see the doctor and collect medicine as scheduled. He said he had bought the unusual mobile phone case through the TikTok app simply to use for fun, adding that it felt comfortable in his hand.

He said there was no harmful motive behind the case and promised not to use it again because he now understood that it could make others as frightened as they were at the hospital.

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11 August 2026