Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai media - full of stories in recent weeks about the disreputable actions of some of the country's clergy - had a different story to report yesterday.

 

Fake monks.

 

Thai Rath said that department of provincial administration official Itthipong Tansiri in Klaeng, Rayong, got a call from a local kamnan about a bunch of seven monks behaving suspiciously walking along Route 344.

 

They had been spotted begging for money and even eating chicken and sticky rice.

 

A check at wat Krasae Bon soon discovered that they were all fake monks from Nakhon Sawan in the north of Thailand. They were aged between 22 and 47.

 

One of them - claiming to be Phra Weena but really plain old Mr Weena - said they had bought fake monk ID for 5,000 baht from another member of the clergy whose name he didn't know. 

 

After they had arrived in Rayong they had been wandering about on foot begging for money.

 

They had got their robes and shaved their own heads.

 

Two knives were also found in their bags.

 

They all were taken away for prosecution by the police. 

 

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Not a bad deal for someone too lazy to work, walk around in the morning collecting food & money, saying a few prayers to those that donate and you're done for the day.

So they are real fake monks who even eat chicken and sticky rice what a giveaway ????

Im kinda surprised there isn't more of this going on - especially since covid. Cant help but think all the lazy tuk tuk drivers would take to it like a duck to water.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

One of them - claiming to be Phra Weena but really plain old Mr Weena - said they had bought fake monk ID for 5,000 baht from another member of the clergy whose name he didn't know. 

The name was a give-away... ????

7 hours ago, bbko said:

Not a bad deal for someone too lazy to work, walk around in the morning collecting food & money, saying a few prayers to those that donate and you're done for the day.

Don't know about that. Then you have to indulge in sex and drugs.

8 hours ago, bbko said:

Not a bad deal for someone too lazy to work, walk around in the morning collecting food & money, saying a few prayers to those that donate and you're done for the day.

You mean monks?

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

You mean monks?

At least the Thai monks (fake or real) walk around, in my country of Merica, the donators go to them or mail or call or online transfer their money in, by the million$, religion in the west is big money nowadays. 

5 minutes ago, bbko said:

At least the Thai monks (fake or real) walk around, in my country of Merica, the donators go to them or mail or call or online transfer their money in, by the million$, religion in the west is big money nowadays. 

I saw a pastor claiming something like......covid is killing you because you aren't sending enough money......!!!!!

 

How do people get so stupid as to send money to these people????

10 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

So they are real fake monks who even eat chicken and sticky rice what a giveaway ????

eating out of hours would be my guess,
monks are forbidden from eating after 12 p.m.
They eat one or two meals a day between 6 a.m. and noon.

11 hours ago, webfact said:

They all were taken away for prosecution by the police. 

Wondering if they will be new recruits for the RTP?  They have the main job qualification ????????.

Madly , in Thailand they will probably be allowed to be 'real' monks at a temple for penance !

Prosecution for what?

You can buy the robes and alms bowls at many shops, and in the 7 years I was a monk, was never asked for my ID.