Chiang Mai Temple Abbot Causes Six-Vehicle Accident, Agrees to Pay 200,000 Baht in Damages

[Chongalulu]

" I think we're gonna need a bigger collection box!" ????

[off road pat]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

1. His claim about being unfamiliar with the controls is utter rubbish. It is a basic truck. A 15 year old could drive it. It shows how completely unfamiliar he is with the Buddhist teachings, which is all about truth, introspection, reflection, taking responsibility for problems one causes, and behaving like a man, not a child.

2. This is a very good reason NOT to revere a religious figure, and should be a lesson to the local people.

3. He should not be driving if he does not know the very basics about vehicular control. Lock him up. 

He was most probably under influence of some substance !!!,..But the RTP didn't dare to test him !!!

[soalbundy]

He is now known as pra crash bang wallop. As for money, temples obviously posses vast wealth. In my village there is a small well kept temple in the temple grounds, then they built a large teaching center for monks for 14 million Baht, next on the list was a new temple for services as the old one was too small but is, unlike the teaching center, still used by the monks, the latest is building a new hall (for whatever purpose), to do this they had to demolish a perfectly usable hall in the same place, I've only seen it being used as a dinning hall for 10 or so monks. Recently they bought four 3 meter tall 'monster guard' statues to be placed in front of the old temple. I saw that my and my wife's name along with other villagers have been commemorated in gold leaf on black marble plaques on the base of the statues so unknown to me my wife has contributed no small amount to buying these decorative monstrosities. They must be rolling in cash, some of it mine.

[khunpin]

"unfamiliar with the controls". 

Did the police check if he has ever owned a driving licence? ???? 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

From whose funds?

A few hints from the abbot of his disciples/attendants would quickly prompt a number of large donations from worshippers eager to 'make merit'.

[SunsetT]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He agreed to compensate all the victims for their damages, totalling more than 200,000 Thai Baht.

No problem! Just keep those donations rolling in!

[wealthychef]

Inappropriate driving!  LOL I'm gonna remember that one. 

[sambum]

"Chiang Mai abbot’s shocking crash leaves trail of carnage"

car·nage

noun : the killing of a large number of people.

 

As far as I can make out from the post not on person was even injured!!!

 

[VincentRJ]

The abbot is also significantly overweight, which indicates he eats too much, which is against Buddhist principles. ????

[ThaiFelix]

7 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

When did the rules change so that it is OK for monks to drive vehicles?

How does a monk, who are supposed to live austere lives, come up with 200,000 baht?

[ThaiFelix]

9 minutes ago, sambum said:

"Chiang Mai abbot’s shocking crash leaves trail of carnage"

car·nage

noun : the killing of a large number of people.

 

As far as I can make out from the post not on person was even injured!!!

 

Dont let silly things like the truth get in the way of a good story.

[NotEinstein]

4 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

How does a monk, who are supposed to live austere lives, come up with 200,000 baht?

Assuming you are married to a Thai, how often does your wife 'make merit' with your hard earned?

[Stevemercer]

As usual, the article begs more questions than answers. Does TV have a new translator?

[ThaiFelix]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

He is now known as pra crash bang wallop. As for money, temples obviously posses vast wealth. In my village there is a small well kept temple in the temple grounds, then they built a large teaching center for monks for 14 million Baht, next on the list was a new temple for services as the old one was too small but is, unlike the teaching center, still used by the monks, the latest is building a new hall (for whatever purpose), to do this they had to demolish a perfectly usable hall in the same place, I've only seen it being used as a dinning hall for 10 or so monks. Recently they bought four 3 meter tall 'monster guard' statues to be placed in front of the old temple. I saw that my and my wife's name along with other villagers have been commemorated in gold leaf on black marble plaques on the base of the statues so unknown to me my wife has contributed no small amount to buying these decorative monstrosities. They must be rolling in cash, some of it mine.

Yes its a perfect example of modern thai culture.  I live in a very small village and yet we have something like 7 temples.  Its 3 times as many as the population requires.  And they forever have their hands out for some improvement of some kind.  They are nothing like the temples you talk of but still too much for a poor village.  They could knock them all down and build two big ones to well and truly accupy all the worshippers and more but then there would be no competition for whose got the biggest statue or meeting hall etc.  They cant even follow the most basic of Buddhist principles.

[ThaiFelix]

4 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

Assuming you are married to a Thai, how often does your wife 'make merit' with your hard earned?

More often than I like but she is getting wiser to it,

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

36 minutes ago, sambum said:

car·nage

noun : the killing of a large number of people.

I thought it was a nice play on words....  CAR-nage..... 

 

 

[LukKrueng]

8 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The Buddha must be spinning in Nirvana , these are not my teachings.

As do Jesus, Moses and Muhammad with all the wrong doings of people AND leaders of all religions

[Moti24]

8 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

When did the rules change so that it is OK for monks to drive vehicles?

Probably the same time that they bought their top of the range iPhones and laptops, and spend afternoons visiting local ice-cream establishments.

[NotEinstein]

23 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

More often than I like but she is getting wiser to it,

 

Are you privy to some of the sordid happenings at your temple?

As example, our abbot has a thing for young boys, and had to pay off the parents after a nipple tweaking incident recently. He was gambling 20,000+ baht every lottery 10 years ago, I dread to think how much it is now. Of course he sleeps in an air-conned room, and there are always donations required for parties (it's his birthday soon) and additional building, but he is obviously cleverer than this one in knowing not to drive.

[Hockeybik]

"Startled by the events, the monk finally agreed to pay...". Startled and finally agreed to pay? Why did it take any convincing?

[Gecko123]

No insurance?

[prakhonchai nick]

9 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

No insurance?

Of course not. Most Thais only have full (comprehensive) insurance for the first year when buying a new car (usually given free) Just compulsory after that-------if that!!!!!!!!!

 

Monks, especially abbots, don't need comprehensive...assuming they drive.....Their flock will always see them right!!!!!!!!!!

[GreasyFingers]

4 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

He studied in an international school in Bangkok and then pursued journalism studies in Melbourne."

But he probably used an American spell checker.

[thailand49]

9 hours ago, khwaibah said:

Thai law forbids monks from having driver's licenses because the monastic code does not allow monks to drive or own vehicles to prevent accidents.Oct 17, 2565 BE

This is prime example why religion has no business in public policies. 

Monastic code Thai Law = 

Land of Stupidity. 

Where is the elephant?  LOL

[PETERTHEEATER]

People wondered why the abbot was wearing shorts? Ridiculous. The question is were the shorts range coloured?

[Purdey]

I guess a lot of people were taking vehicle registration numbers to buy lottery tickets. Holy crashes lead to millions in wins.

[metisdead]

2 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

As usual, the article begs more questions than answers. Does TV have a new translator?

 

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[metisdead]

An off topic post trolling about MAGA leaders has been removed.

[Bundooman]

11 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

When did the rules change so that it is OK for monks to drive vehicles?

Furthermore - did he have a licence and was he insured?

And did he get preferential treatment?

And where can he lay his hands on 200,000 Baht?

And did they really breathalyse him?

Or blood check him for drugs?

 

I wonder if the police checked these things before kowtowing to the famous man monk and then courteously driving him home in the early hours?

I wonder where he had been? It says he was visiting relatives ...........!

 

I wonder if I could get such preferential treatment for this kind of incident?

[NotEinstein]

8 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

Furthermore - did he have a licence and was he insured?

And did he get preferential treatment?

And where can he lay his hands on 200,000 Baht?

And did they really breathalyse him?

Or blood check him for drugs?

 

I wonder if the police checked these things before kowtowing to the famous man monk and then courteously driving him home in the early hours?

I wonder where he had been? It says he was visiting relatives ...........!

 

I wonder if I could get such preferential treatment for this kind of incident?

Doubt he has a licence as he is not supposed to drive, but the vehicle will have been insured, as it is required by law, however not for the damage that he caused even if it is a higher level than basic, as he is not legally supposed to drive.

He is an abbot, of course he got preferential treatment.

200,000 baht is not a difficult sum for an abbot of a reasonably sized temple to lay his hands on. It seems a call was made and wheels were put in motion.

The police said they tested him for alcohol.

The incident happened at 7am, allegedly as he was visiting family.

If you have a relationship, through whatever means, with a high enough rank of police officer, or other influential people, sure you could.