Three senior monks caught in Kamphaeng Phet for drinking alcohol, claimed they were honoring ancestors so it should be allowed

[snoop1130]

PHOTO: Komchadluek

 

Three monks described as senior, experienced monks, were caught drinking alcohol by area law enforcement at a temple in Kamphaengphet on New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2022.

 

A team of officers from the Mueang Kamphaengphet District Office went to a temple in the Na Borkam sub-district after they were notified by local residents who were concerned that the group of monks was drinking alcohol and partying for New Year’s, which is against the monk’s rules of conduct. No alcohol bottles were found but the odor of alcohol was, according to the officers, strong in the area.

 

A monk named only as Arpat, who appeared to be highly intoxicated according to law enforcement officers, first denied having drank any alcohol but after some time and discussion with authorities reportedly admitted to doing so.

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/01/03/three-senior-monks-caught-in-kamphaeng-phet-for-drinking-alcohol-claimed-they-were-honoring-ancestors-so-it-should-be-allowed/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-01-03

 

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[The Hammer2021]

Alcohol  consumption  by certain spiritualist leaders  is part of the Loei Pee Ta Khon festival during the searching  of the river  before sunrise

[RandiRona]

I can think of worse things monks could be involved in, drinking isnt one of them. Time to modernize book of conduct.

[ikke1959]

What is the problem?? If the monks are not allowed to drink alcoholand they do it, it is an issue for the temple or temple organisation to solve this. No need to get the police involved. 

[mancub]

36 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

What is the problem?? If the monks are not allowed to drink alcoholand they do it, it is an issue for the temple or temple organisation to solve this. No need to get the police involved. 

Ah, self-regulation ! Works just fine in other organizations !????

[EricTh]

What I find is that many monks in Thailand are no different from ordinary non-monks. I won't go into details....

[malathione]

9 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Alcohol  consumption  by certain spiritualist leaders  is part of the Loei Pee Ta Khon festival during the searching  of the river  before sunrise

Yes but how is that relevant to this episode? Were they practicing for the 3rd of June?

[sanuk711]

We were drinking local rice whisky from local residents who wanted to give the spirits to their ancestors as a blessing. So we drank this whisky in order to deliver alcohol to those dead people,.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

 

But first of all we thought we should strain it through our kidneys before delivering it.......said Monk Arpat...............

[Tarteso]

They should become Catholic priests, they are allowed to drink wine in ceremonies (and smoke). In addition, the Pope and Vatican usually protects them from sins and bad behavior ????.

[2long]

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

What is the problem?? If the monks are not allowed to drink alcoholand they do it, it is an issue for the temple or temple organisation to solve this. No need to get the police involved. 

Yes and no. They're sort of 'above the law' and the police can't arrest one until he has been defrocked. This is (I believe) why the police are involved in they do unmonkly things. Yes, I just made that word up.

[2long]

But in the OP it's pretty 'he said she said'

- There were no bottles found, but the odour was ACCORDING to the officers. strong in the area.

- Arpat 'reportedly admitted doing so'

- Arpat APPEARED highly intoxicated ACCORDING to officers

 

[Tropposurfer]

Caught red handed, and red faced with a lampshade on head, obscure sect of our of faith, and quite ok. We were praying don't you know. 

[rwill]

1 hour ago, Tarteso said:

They should become Catholic priests, they are allowed to drink wine in ceremonies (and smoke). In addition, the Pope and Vatican usually protects them from sins and bad behavior ????.

In my younger days I was Catholic for a little while.  The rectory at the church had a full bar in it.

[klauskunkel]

from the article:

"We were drinking local rice whisky from local residents who wanted to give the spirits to their ancestors as a blessing. So we drank this whisky in order to deliver alcohol to those dead people, we were doing a good thing by blessing their ancestors and thought this would not violate the rules of being a monk."

 

As far as excuses go, this one ranks right up there..., but let's take a look:

they say they acted merely as a conduit to deliver the alcohol to the ancestor spirits, however, they clearly robbed the ancestor spirits of the effects of alcohol and therefore should be also charged for theft (ancestor spirits) and fraud (local residents).

[BangkokReady]

Saw a couple of monks looking at the latest smartphones in a mall the other day.  I'm not sure how people can still be comfortable with the whole "monks live for free in return for doing monk stuff".  I bet that's one thing they're not in a hurry to modernise.

[The Hammer2021]

2 hours ago, malathione said:

Yes but how is that relevant to this episode? Were they practicing for the 3rd of June?

Ancestors/ Buddhism/ Temple/Monks/Alcohol/

Perhaps  relevant  Perhaps  not but still very interesting that certain  tenets of the interwoven  belief  system that is Thai  Buddhism/ annimism/ spiritualism might include alcohol  consumption and ancestor worship but I doubt if they were practicing.

[The Hammer2021]

5 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Saw a couple of monks looking at the latest smartphones in a mall the other day.  I'm not sure how people can still be comfortable with the whole "monks live for free in return for doing monk stuff".  I bet that's one thing they're not in a hurry to modernise.

Even the poor, beggars and homeless immigrants  have mobile phones these days. Are you uncomfortable  with monks using mobile phones?

[malathione]

1 minute ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Ancestors/ Buddhism/ Temple/Monks/Alcohol/

Perhaps  relevant  Perhaps  not but still very interesting that certain  tenets of the interwoven  belief  system that is Thai  Buddhism/ annimism/ spiritualism might include alcohol  consumption and ancestor worship but I doubt if they were practicing.

Relevance, that never matters on TV and I do find it interesting. I was just being funny but it comes across as being a jerk and I apologize.

[IAMHERE]

Why are cops invovled in an internal religious squabble ?

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Even the poor, beggars and homeless immigrants  have mobile phones these days.

They aren't monks so this is completely irrelevant.

 

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Are you uncomfortable  with monks using mobile phones?

Not the using of them per se, if they are doing it purely for monk purposes it might be OK.  If they do anything that goes against the rules of being a monk or the teachings that they are supposed to follow (which is quite likely), then of course that is a problem.

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Why are cops invovled in an internal religious squabble ?

Why not?  These people tell these people how to live, take their money and other donations, then they go and get drunk in secret when they aren't meant to.  At the very least it could be classed as fraud, or even disturbing the peace.

[Moonlover]

om-hic-mani-hic-padme-hic-hum-hic.

[Moonlover]

'We were drinking local rice whisky from local residents who wanted to give the spirits to their ancestors as a blessing. So we drank this whisky in order to deliver alcohol to those dead people'.

 

And then:

 

'Officers went to a temple in the Na Borkam sub-district after they were notified by local residents who were concerned that the group of monks was drinking alcohol'.

 

Ha ha, fell for that one didn't you brothers. LoL.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Why are cops invovled in an internal religious squabble ?

I could ask; Why does the Government give these temples via NOB large amount of money each year ? 

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, Tarteso said:

They should become Catholic priests, they are allowed to drink wine in ceremonies (and smoke).

....And, sadly as many children in the World have found to there cost, what the Vatican allows them to do does not end there.

[sammieuk1]

Just holy water move on ????

[Rodjrin]

The skunk was drunk as a monk.

[AustinRacing]

Just a misunderstanding. He was looking to boost his spirit. Used google map to locate the nearest spirit shop. He bought and consumed some spirit. 

[connda]

I have no idea why the BIB needs to be involved in a matter that is strictly a matter for the Sangha to handle.

They will all be disrobed.   It's one of those major offenses.

[bangon04]

8 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Even the poor, beggars and homeless immigrants  have mobile phones these days. Are you uncomfortable  with monks using mobile phones?

Coming from a Nanny State, I have mixed feelings about donating money to beggars playing with the latest i-phone.........