Picture: Thai Rath

 

It has been a decidedly rocky few weeks for Thailand's monks with seemingly one scandal after another featuring the men in saffron.

 

Now comes a story out of Sukhothai that surely tops the lot. 

 

Phra Wirot Phuangkhajorn, 48, was left alone at his temple, Wat Nern Krachai in Kongkrailat district after all his monks fled.

 

They were fed up that their abbot was just a criminal who had stepped off the righteous path.

 

Among his misdemeanors was cutting up the Buddhist images to get the gold to sell, though he denied this claiming it was repairs.

 

This looked a tad shallow when eight were found destroyed. 

 

The final straw for the locals came when he ripped off the temple door and sold it for scrap metal.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

After all he needed the cash to pay for his meth addition - Ya Ba taking equipment was found in his quarters.

 

Phra Wirot is now plain old Mr Wirot and in police custody for his temple antics and Ya Ba taking activity.

 

The change in name is because he was ceremonially "defrocked".

 

Now the hundreds of angry parishioners have to decide what to do about the electricity bill - he left 40,000 baht due to be paid!

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thailand likes to think that its monks are paragons of virtue - but the Thai press is always after stories when they slip up. 

 

Thai Rath went to town on this one. 

 

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After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

"Now the hundreds of angry parishioners have to decide what to do about the electricity bill - he left 40,000 baht due to be paid!"

 

Nothing to do with them, just tell PEA to <deleted> off.

44 minutes ago, George Bowman said:

After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

Local police are looking into it but will probably find it an open and shut case.

45 minutes ago, George Bowman said:

After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

looks like they are doors of opportunity.

1 minute ago, edwinchester said:

Local police are looking into it but will probably find it an open and shut case.

Or a permanently open case in this case!

Is it the cops, the monks, or the news outlets who are trying to outdo each other with even more extreme behaviour each story? Either way, it's not helping to model the young's minds and outlook on life here, is it?

How can young people grow up and develop when they're told certain people are to be respected?

 

- respect your elders

- respect the law/police

- respect the government/uniform

- respect the clergy (can we use that word for Buddhists?)

 

There's another one a decided to leave off the list.

Our local temple has rather attractive gates and if they ever decided to get rid of them then I would be in the market.

So I thought I'd post the image on here. When I trawled through my photos I found I'd only photographed one side of the entrance.
Now anyone reading this story will think there is one gate missing. Honestly, there are two of them and both in situ. ????

 

From monkhood to inmate.

 

Well. You know what they say. "One door closes, another opens."

Yabba Dabba doo I've smashed up the statue sold the door run up a bill now I'm off to the zoo ????

Not sure why they put monks here on such a pedestal. They are much like priests in the West. Some are earnest and sincere. Some are deep and profound. And some are just simpletons, corrupt and see it as a career move, or a way to dodge their past.

 

Don't judge a man by his robe. Judge him by his merits and his character. 

Is it polite to point at Buddha???

6 hours ago, George Bowman said:

After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

There's a market for everything, I learnt that the first week I was here.

6 hours ago, George Bowman said:

After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

and motorway signs !

7 hours ago, webfact said:

They were fed up that their abbot was just a criminal who had stepped off the righteous path.

Probably find he never actually stepped onto it !

14 hours ago, George Bowman said:

After years of living here, I still learn something new every day. I had no idea there was a market for stolen temple doors...

......scrap metal.

 

Probably got 40 baht.

 

YaBa is cheap with all the strife in Myanmar.

 

Despite all this, all he probably thinks about is getting his next hit of YaBa, terribly addictive and life destroying drug.

 

Totally rampant in Thailand.

Drugs don't discriminate it's tentacles reach every crevice of the world.