Scam? Monks get their alms then hand them back to the traders for resale!

 

Caption: Real or fake monks?

 

Netizens were commenting in droves after a post about monks sitting down appealing for alms at the Asoke market in downtown Bangkok was put on Facebook. 

 

There were many monks on the footpath as particularly Chinese tourists were paying respects and giving them food bought at the market. 

 

A post on "Hey! These are Thailand's Footpaths", an activist group, claimed that once the people had made merit the items in the bowls were handed back to traders for resale. 

 

It was all cluttering up the footpaths and could well be totally illegal, they said. 

 

Netizens said that if the monks were fakes they should all be arrested. 

 

If they were for real then the Buddhist authorities should investigate to see if the precepts were being flouted.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-09-07

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A bar girl told me about this when I first came to Thailand; I didn't believe her then. Now I'm thinking she was right all along.

I suspected this for years, then one day I actually saw it happen, in one of those shops selling merit making baskets. The monk did not know I was watching.

well at least they are smart enough to put aside the cigarettes and cell phone while asking lol

One time in cm I saw loads of food merit back of the pickup.i just wonder how much of that was sold back or used for the right reason.the Thais would not say anything anyway 

Re-gifting .

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by mok199

Monks with tongues that big must be fake and a girls best friend what rascals????

22 minutes ago, losworld said:

well at least they are smart enough to put aside the cigarettes and cell phone while asking lol

This is why someone can go into a corner shop and buy 10 fags in a small plastic bag and they are all different, Where did they come from you might ask!?

 

Don't know about recycling cell phones though. I'll ask my bar-girl friend; if she is still around after 11 years.

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by owl sees all

7 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Re-gifting ..very common in the west

What? 

14 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

One time in cm I saw loads of food merit back of the pickup.i just wonder how much of that was sold back or used for the right reason.the Thais would not say anything anyway 

I've seen this at the temple after funerals where a pickup pulls up to a store room and loads up all the orange clad offerings. It happens at every temple of any size. We never bought these pre packed always made up our own. 

Not sure I understand people that don't realise this happens, are they that naive?
They go and collect all the oil in front of you to rebottle it for the lamps

The whole deal is a money making machine.....

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

7 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

What? 

Snide knock off gear before the bizzies arrive????

Welcome to Thailand....

20 minutes ago, mok199 said:

Re-gifting .

they call it monk recycling..it is an old problem, and there are Buddha police on the lookout for it..who is policing the police, I don't know.  I recall they are suppose to be a certain distance from the sellers.  Quit giving them food and maybe they will eat the .million dogs given refuge at the temples and wreaking havoc on the surrounds.

Naked men in orange robes.

 

A criminal today, a monk tomorrow.

7 minutes ago, neeray said:

Naked men in orange robes.

 

A criminal today, a monk tomorrow.

almost as bad as the priesthood.

6 minutes ago, moontang said:

almost as bad as the priesthood.

"Almost"?

6 minutes ago, moontang said:

almost as bad as the priesthood.

That came to mind when I was composing.

8 minutes ago, moontang said:

almost as bad as the priesthood.

That came to mind when I was composing.

Buddhist spin on "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

At least here you aren't forced to waste your money on that stuff.

If you are catholic or evangelic you pay 8% church tax to the government in germany -.-

Edited September 7, 20196 yr by ThomasThBKK

What people fail to understand is that the merit is made by handing over the alms. 

 

The merit is not lessened by what subsequently happens to the alms.

 

Duh!

 

Rooster

Same at funerals all the orange robe/ cloth stuff you give monks gets taken back 

 

IMHO All you need to remember if a monk is involved its a scam!

What people fail to understand is that the merit is made by handing over the alms. 
 
The merit is not lessened by what subsequently happens to the alms.
 
Duh!
 
Rooster

I can think of, and find, better ways to make merit than support other people financially

Especially when these others are specifically distorting the system to make financial gains from someones elses hard earned money. Many of whom can barely afford or justify to be giving in the first place.....

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I used to make merit when I was at school. Well, when I say merit, if I did something really bad, I’d be on my best behavior for a few days. Then, me being a little troublesome at school, I’d do something bad again. I’d explain to my teachers that my previous misdeed shouldn’t be counted because I was really good for a few days. But sadly, they weren’t having any of it. They added the previous misdeed to the new one and then I was really in trouble. I learnt a valuable lesson from this. I learnt how to, what’s the phrase? Yes, I learnt how to ‘take personal responsibility’ for my actions. 

 

A very simple lesson in life. 

 

I know, I know; in Catholicism you can confess your sins, etc. But I’m pretty sure I’ve read at least one person criticizing this notion. Maybe even two. 

 

 

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

This is why someone can go into a corner shop and buy 10 fags in a small plastic bag and they are all different, Where did they come from you might ask!?

 

Don't know about recycling cell phones though. I'll ask my bar-girl friend; if she is still around after 11 years.

 

Aww... tell us which bar this is, and we can go seek for the wise ones. I am sure there is more than one around LOL

 

But honestly, I was told the same thing by an office colleague. He told me, if I really wanted to give something to the monks, go to the temple. A proper one. Not all the monks on the street are fakes, but we'll never be able to tell one from the other.

 

2 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

"Almost"?

Perhaps George Pell can give some insights!

3 hours ago, owl sees all said:

A bar girl told me about this when I first came to Thailand; I didn't believe her then. Now I'm thinking she was right all along.

Yep, I've seen one in action, but he was jumped on by a hotel employee.

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

What? 

Re-gifting is when someone gives you some thing you don't really want/need so you give to someone else for a present. Then they post on face book wearing/using the item and then the person who gave it to you gets the <deleted>s with you.

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

What? 

Obviously not a Sienfeld fan....