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Officials warn of fake monks' targeting Phuket tourists

Phuket Gazette

Chatpawit Jinapong warns of fake 'monks' collecting donations from tourists and locals in Phuket. Photo: Warisa Temram

Most genuine Buddhist monks do not seek alms after 8am, said Mr Chatpawit. Photo: Warisa Temram

PHUKET: -- The 'monk police’ of Phuket are warning everyone on the island of con men who are impersonating Buddhist monks and tricking locals and tourists into giving them money.

Chatpawit Jinapong, Director of the Phuket branch of the National Office of Buddhism, which operates directly under the Prime Minister's Office, spoke with the Phuket Gazette about these fraudulent “monks”.

“High season in Phuket attracts a lot of these con men who dress like Buddhist monks to get money, which really isn’t appropriate. We found that most are from Cambodia, here in Phuket on tourist visas, though there are Thai fake-monks too,” he said.

On casual observation the phony monks appear to be collecting alms as part of a merit making ceremony. However, their true objective is to collect money rather than other offerings such as food.

“Thai monks follow a very strict monastic code and they do not collect alms after 8am, whereas these fake monks are collecting alms all day long,” said Mr Chatpawit.

“However, we have caught more than 10 and Phuket Immigration have deported them,” he said.

Mr Chatpawit went on to explain how to spot the bogus monks, who often operate in busy places such as markets and tourist attractions.

“Fake-monks are not calm when collecting alms, they are frequently looking around and trying to identify people likely to offer money instead of food,” he said.

The biggest giveaway is a “monk” collecting alms after 8am, he said.

Though they have caught dozens of the con men, Mr Chatpawit says he and his team of five officers have their work cut out for them.

“We have three ‘monk’ police officers in each of the three Phuket districts to keep an eye on things, generally the beaches, especially Patong Beach,” he said.

To aid Mr Chatpawit’s team, he has asked regular police officers to also be on the lookout for these frauds.

“The penalty for impersonating a monk is a 3,000 baht or up to three months imprisonment,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle12076.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-01-20

[stevenl]

I had some here in the shop. As soon as I threatened to call the police they left by car.

[Thaddeus]

“The penalty for impersonating a monk is a 3,000 baht or up to three months imprisonment,” he added.

Or just don the robes for real for a few weeks.

[Rusty2009]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

[marioc]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

[Rusty2009]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

after 8 am?

[Orgathai]

fake monks, real police men, tuktuk drivers, water scooter managers...not many honest people left...

[thaiIand]

dont forget that real monks are often just bad thai men hiding away for a few years. Genuin monks are getting rare in thailand just as non-child molesting catholic priest are getting rare.

[thongdee]

I am living in Surintown I used to be a monk for a wile, last year the customs did catch a English monk smuggling cigarets from Cambodia into Thailand ,he also get cash money and 64600฿ they catch him and he escaped ...he is a "monk on the run" now ,

hiding in Malay somewhere ,I do have a picture and full name....

[yumidesign]

'Monk police officers' does that mean Monks who are police or police who are Monks, i am confused. only in Puke et

[ezzra]

And now we have to be on the lookout for a fake "monk police man" should we?

[Just1Voice]

I've seen monks, supposedly the real ones, with iPads, Galaxy's, iPhone, Blackberry's, Smart Phones, Pentax cameras, and about every other expensive thing you can think of, which sort of flies in the face of what Buddha taught about "material things".

Thailand is "Buddhist" only on the surface.

[markg]

I've encountered them twice.

Once in Kuala Lumpur, a monk in Chinatown was selling bracelets to tourists. To get rid of him, I spoke Thai, but b*ggar me, he was Thai ! Explained that he was trying to raise money to get back to Thailand. I gave him a couple of ringit.

Once in BKK, in the wee small hours at a roadside eaterie around Suk soi 6, a monk was asking foreigners for money. I gave him 20baht. A Thai couple at the next table told me that it was nice of me but did i know that he was a fake monk? No, i said, how can you tell? They told me that real monks don't need money and never ask for it.

Sadly, and possibly controversially, I treat beggars (including monks, whether real or not) in the same way, and give things depending on the mood i am in. 20 baht here or there doesnt bother me too much. In India, I'd buy food and give that to the street kids.

I tended to give nothing to the Sadhus (Indian holy men) as they generally chose to drop out of society.

In Burma, I was surprised at just how many monks there were. I often saw them lounging in internet cafes surfing Facebook and even playing online shoot-em-ups.

I'm guessing that what we consider a monk in the West, (Extremely strict, religious, Trappist etc) is different to what constitutes a monk here. In Burma i was told that many monks are unemployed young men or criminals who have no other option but to turn to the monkhood. That's significantly different to the West.

I hope that in Thailand, the crime of impersonating a monk should carry a hefty sentence.

[Thaddeus]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

By that definition then, not real monks.

I've been living here for quite a few years now, and I don't think I have met a real one yet.

[sfbandung]

Disappointing stuff

[daak]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

this dosent assure he was Fake, as a Buddhist Monk i know the use of the computer is very helpfull and unhelpful in our lives.

[daak]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

By that definition then, not real monks.

I've been living here for quite a few years now, and I don't think I have met a real one yet.

Sorry as the world becomes more and more computer savy so dose our Sangha (Monks) for good and bad,

This in no way determins who out of the Buddhist Monks is real / not real monks.

Edited January 21, 2012 by daak

[daak]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

after 8 am?

Buddhist Monks may go on Alms Round from aprox 6am to 12 midday (according or the Monks Vinaya (rules))

[silent]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

after 8 am?

couldn't be real then. Don't all become pumpkins after 8 am............. Sad

[chooka]

fake monks, real police men, tuktuk drivers, water scooter managers...not many honest people left...

Seems like the terrorists are the only ones that authorities aren't concerned about. Can't have these fake monks sticking thier fingers into the BIB's cake. How do you differentiate between real and fake monks? Do real ones carry I.D stating he is an authorised monk?

Edited January 21, 2012 by chooka

[elektrified]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

It could have easily been a real 1.......seen many real monks with fancy cameras, ipad, smoking.......

Indeed. Just because a monk is using an Ipad doesn't mean he is a fake! Here in Chiang Mai there are monks with very expensive cameras, mobiles, ipads, notebooks, etc. In fact there are a couple that get around Chiang Mai in their own chauffeur-driven luxury or collectible, classic car. They are all real.

Some smoke, some drink whiskey, etc. People are people...

As for the after 8:00 A.M. thing I'm not sure about that one. I remember many times sitting outside at a cafe or hotel restaurant in Bangkok and monks coming by at 9:00-10:00 A.M.

Edited January 21, 2012 by elektrified

[oevna]

The biggest giveaway is a “monk” collecting alms after 8am, he said.

Though they have caught dozens of the con men, Mr Chatpawit says he and his team of five officers have their work cut out for them.

“We have three ‘monk’ police officers in each of the three Phuket districts to keep an eye on things, generally the beaches, especially Patong Beach,” he said.

I would say the biggest giveaway is that they are in Patong Beach!

Edited January 21, 2012 by oevna

[kirk0233]

I've encountered them twice.

Once in Kuala Lumpur, a monk in Chinatown was selling bracelets to tourists. To get rid of him, I spoke Thai, but b*ggar me, he was Thai ! Explained that he was trying to raise money to get back to Thailand. I gave him a couple of ringit.

Once in BKK, in the wee small hours at a roadside eaterie around Suk soi 6, a monk was asking foreigners for money. I gave him 20baht. A Thai couple at the next table told me that it was nice of me but did i know that he was a fake monk? No, i said, how can you tell? They told me that real monks don't need money and never ask for it.

Sadly, and possibly controversially, I treat beggars (including monks, whether real or not) in the same way, and give things depending on the mood i am in. 20 baht here or there doesnt bother me too much. In India, I'd buy food and give that to the street kids.

I tended to give nothing to the Sadhus (Indian holy men) as they generally chose to drop out of society.

In Burma, I was surprised at just how many monks there were. I often saw them lounging in internet cafes surfing Facebook and even playing online shoot-em-ups.

I'm guessing that what we consider a monk in the West, (Extremely strict, religious, Trappist etc) is different to what constitutes a monk here. In Burma i was told that many monks are unemployed young men or criminals who have no other option but to turn to the monkhood. That's significantly different to the West.

I hope that in Thailand, the crime of impersonating a monk should carry a hefty sentence.

Maybe real monks never accept money, but they like it. A Wat near where I live sells the food and other donations they do not use. Everyday one of the monks hops on a motorcycle driven by someone else and collects food from my village. He usually gets a lot as do the other monks who enter other villages. I would not be surprised if they intentionally acquire more donations than they need for the day in order to make a profit. They do hire women to do the cleaning and other menial tasks around the wat and have to pay them.

[khaowong1]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

this dosent assure he was Fake, as a Buddhist Monk i know the use of the computer is very helpfull and unhelpful in our lives.

Thank you daak. It's amazing how a lot of farangs will hold monks up to much higher ideals than our christian counterparts. When they see a monk with a cell phone or ipod or, heaven forbid, smoking, they go nuts. It's a little tough being held up to such high standards. Maybe it would help us if these farangs would come to the temple once in awhile to give us some support. But I guess that would be asking too much.

[Tanuki]

I've seen monks, supposedly the real ones, with iPads, Galaxy's, iPhone, Blackberry's, Smart Phones, Pentax cameras, and about every other expensive thing you can think of, which sort of flies in the face of what Buddha taught about "material things".

Thailand is "Buddhist" only on the surface.

Yep I would say fake monks to go with all the fake Buddhists here in Phuket. Buddhists who play the lottery, go to make merit in hopes of gaining material things etc. Maybe I didn't understand Buddhism correctly but I thought the message was to free yourself from these things, attachments? I ask why do you go to temple? Answer almost always is that something good come back to me more money, better job...so not going there for respect or serenity hey

Edited January 21, 2012 by Tanuki

[F1fanatic]

Presumably it is the Thais who are giving the 'real' or fake monks money?

It seems unlikely that tourists are being targeted by monks as few Westerners are Buddhist and, although I often see monks surrounded by Thais giving them food etc., I can't think that I've ever seen tourists doing the same.

[F1fanatic]

i met one in Hau-Hin in December, at a coffee shop using his ipad.

this dosent assure he was Fake, as a Buddhist Monk i know the use of the computer is very helpfull and unhelpful in our lives.

Thank you daak. It's amazing how a lot of farangs will hold monks up to much higher ideals than our christian counterparts. When they see a monk with a cell phone or ipod or, heaven forbid, smoking, they go nuts. It's a little tough being held up to such high standards. Maybe it would help us if these farangs would come to the temple once in awhile to give us some support. But I guess that would be asking too much.

Not really. Most Westerners aren't v impressed with christian priests etc. who are obviously wealthy....

I saw a monk in Bangkok (when on holiday here) who was inspecting an amulet with an eye-glass with a fag hanging out of his mouth. This just made me wonder - it was when he took out an enormous wad of cash to buy one that I lost respect.

[oevna]

Buddhist Monks may go on Alms Round from aprox 6am to 12 midday (according or the Monks Vinaya (rules))

The time of day that a monk is allowed to eat isn't specified in the Vinaya. I believe the rule about only eating before noon is a tradition among Theravada Buddhist monks in Southeast Asia. For example, Cha'an Buddhist monks in China can eat in the evening, and they also follow the Vinaya code (although a slightly different version).

There are, however, an extra set of austerities called tudong (dhutanga in Pali) which are taken by some monks, and one of these austerities includes eating only one meal per day. It isn't specified what time of day the meal can be eaten, but there are many rules about the way in which monks can receive food, and the way in which they can eat a meal.

[keestha]

Thailand is "Buddhist" only on the surface.

Show me a country where religion goes deeper than the surface. There are a lot of Christian countries with a very high murder rate (Latin America), in spite of the "Thou shall not kill" command. Thailand is a truly Buddhist country, just like Italy is a truly Roman Catholic Christian country, in spite of the fact that many Italians sin against Christian principles by for instance desiring a female they are not married with.

[connda]

Real monks don't walk around asking for money. It's against the Vinyana, or the rules of practicing monks. Fake monks target farang and verbally ask for "money". Real monks walk early morning alms rounds and don't ask for anything. Real monks may solicit funds, but I always seen this happen in well established groups, and generally the groups are targeting Thais, not farangs, and they are soliciting funds for their respective temples.