Scandal-hit Thai monk seems to be a master of marketing

[SteeleJoe]

Third world, and always will be!

Unlike the west that believes a talking snake gave a piece of fruit to a woman, a talking burning bush, a book written by a bunch of nomads in the desert in what was the stone age, a carpenter who walks on water and is handy with fish and loaves and then becomes a zombie - all against an evil force run by some guy called Satan who apparently lives underground and can be defeated by accepting the zombie into your heart.

So yeah, really third world.

I agree with your central point entirely (even alluded to it earlier) but I'd point out that a very large segment of "the West" doesn't believe any of that and that the other Abrahamic religions are no less preposterous.

[NanLaew]

The thing that boggles my mind is, if he was just the front for the faceless rich and powerful, merely facilitating their need to cleanse their undeclared wedges and ended up with all those cars and enough money for properties overseas and corporate jets... if he was just getting a 10% cut, how much money was he laundering <deleted>? It must be astronomical, up there with the GDP's of some first-world countries no?

[Mampara]

Let this be a lesson to all the future marketing people, despite all his wrongs, this guy is a top marketing man, and his methods should be used and taught as a marketing strategy example.

[GuyL]

"I shall lead you all on the path to nirvana"

Considering his lifestyle, I guess that at least he actually knows his way to a better world!

[Thai at Heart]

"I shall lead you all on the path to nirvana"

Considering his lifestyle, I guess that at least he actually knows his way to a better world!

Indeed. He seems to have copied a fast living grunge pop star quite closely.

[newermonkey]

All this fuss is sort of irrelevant because it will take years to get him back from his Californian home, we all know how easy it is for the very rich to stay free and at large and he will always have his so called devotees with their hands deep in the begging bowl.

What will happen is various parties will re-distribute his massive assets to themselves and try to brush the whole ugly incident under the grass mat.

I have always been extra stupid honest in business so that's why I am sitting here wasting my time writing this and not gallivanting around spending my millions.

Most extremely wealthy people that I know, when in meetings continuously make up stories and deliver cleaver bullshit to bolster their image (such as Sir Richard Branson is my very best friend). I see it all the time lies lies lies = success!

Looks like if you want to be rich and successful you must be a very good liar, unfortunately I could never bring myself to do it so I am relatively poor (for a farang), sitting around wishing life had been better to me.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts deleted.

[kurnell]

What is so difficult about throwing this yahoo in gaol and throwing away the key?

[WhizBang]

This is what happens when you have an uneducated populace, and the lack of critical thinking that goes with (good) education.

It's going to be a long, LONG time before Thailand gets out of this rut.

[wilcopops]

He should - and probably will - go into politics.

[OzMick]

He should - and probably will - go into politics.

They badly need someone to make the rice scam smell like roses. He might be suitable.

[foxteen]

He was doing this for monk years and proud..now the house start falling down

[NongKhaiKid]

This article is frivolous, disarming and - ultimately - extremely alarming.

The monk is a criminal and yet the writer makes light of this fact.

'How did he manage to command their overwhelming respect and support? The answer might be as simple as a well-crafted marketing plan.'

I doubt that very much.

The next thing we will hear is that this poor, naive but well-intended monk has been a victim of circumstances, manipulated by a well-oiled marketing machine and brainwashed in to believing in his own transcendental divinity.

This guy set out to fleece the people from the beginning, knowing full well their susceptibility to the power and charisma of the personality cult, something which is - sadly - par for the course in Thailand.

The truth? He's a front for other, more powerful and influential people. Simple.

So, the Nation, let's find out who they are.

It's now being reported that apart from the initial 22 luxury cars he bought there could be another 35 more over the years and that he " gifted " some to 2 VERY senior monks ? This is only the tip of a very large iceberg and like all icebergs how much will ever be revealed ?

[klauskunkel]

Religion (ideas, philosopy) in itself is supposed to be beneficial to people and society, but once religion becomes institutionalized into churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, whatever - meaning once one person or a group gets their grubby, little hands on the power over people a church constitutes, then it gets invariably corrupted, just give it some time. They have to spread to amass more power than their rival doctrines, they hide criminals behind a moral facade, they are exempt to some degree from scrutiny, they are dogmatic, intolerant and parasitic.

IMO religion should be a person's private business and not regulated, restricted or prescribed by some manmade institution.

This Thai monk(ey) business is a nice example of how religion is used by an institution to pull wool over the eye of the Thai people, who are inherently not the most critical or questioning kind. I think, considering the assets and moneys and the kind of purchases he made, this monk is laundering money for some high placed people. Therefore, he cannot come back to Thailand, or he will be dead. So, for him it is a good thing to be in the religion business, i.e. so many western countries have "freedom of religion" written in their constitution, which can be easily distorted to protect himself and used to be admitted to those countries.

To be clear, I have nothing against Freedom of Religion, I have everything against freedom of churches.

[NanLaew]

This article is frivolous, disarming and - ultimately - extremely alarming.

The monk is a criminal and yet the writer makes light of this fact.

'How did he manage to command their overwhelming respect and support? The answer might be as simple as a well-crafted marketing plan.'

I doubt that very much.

The next thing we will hear is that this poor, naive but well-intended monk has been a victim of circumstances, manipulated by a well-oiled marketing machine and brainwashed in to believing in his own transcendental divinity.

This guy set out to fleece the people from the beginning, knowing full well their susceptibility to the power and charisma of the personality cult, something which is - sadly - par for the course in Thailand.

The truth? He's a front for other, more powerful and influential people. Simple.

So, the Nation, let's find out who they are.

It's now being reported that apart from the initial 22 luxury cars he bought there could be another 35 more over the years and that he " gifted " some to 2 VERY senior monks ? This is only the tip of a very large iceberg and like all icebergs how much will ever be revealed ?

Would maybe explain the closing of the ranks by the Buddhist 'Council' when this story broke and then their 'waiting for the DSI to come up with evidence' before even suspending the prat. I would say he has them by their saffron covered balls right now.

[winstonc]

Let this be a lesson to all the future marketing people, despite all his wrongs, this guy is a top marketing man, and his methods should be used and taught as a marketing strategy example.

hes not a top marketing man.look at his followeers...they dont need that much convincing do they.....isaan... i rest my case m,lud......

[morpho]

Sounds like he's formed a cult to me.

[MaxLee]

Now that I think about, I think that the BRIBE SCAMS collected money from the populist MEGAPROJECTS policies was for donation for that DUDE, to turn public and international attention away from the MEGAPROJECT SCAMS,...

.... I mean, the Pheu Thai must have collected ENOUGH money by now to shove it ALL THE WAY up the monk's A$$$$$$

Edited July 12, 2013 by MaxLee

[lineofentry]

All clergy, the whole world over, fleece people constantly. It beats work.

[Halion]

Nice spin story from the ever diligent reporters in the Thai media but the true essence of this story was where did all that money come from and why. I assure it it was far from him being a descendant of Lord Buddha.

I am sure that there are many so called elite who are very nervous about their names and address being revealed and these same scum bags will willingly pay for him to remain overseas in a life of luxury. Self sustaining cancerous culture.

[Bellweather]

The thing that boggles my mind is, if he was just the front for the faceless rich and powerful, merely facilitating their need to cleanse their undeclared wedges and ended up with all those cars and enough money for properties overseas and corporate jets... if he was just getting a 10% cut, how much money was he laundering <deleted>? It must be astronomical, up there with the GDP's of some first-world countries no?

I wonder if he gets or has already received a message not to be in a rush to come back and there will be no rush to pursue him ?

Hope he changes into mufti before he hits the Strip in Vegas, he might just stand out.

[tomacht8]

"people wondering why he looked much older in a photo than his true age"
Yeah comes normally from too much sex, drugs and rock´n roll.

[NCFC]

Amassed a huge amount of wealth without doing a day's work, while keeping up pretence of innocence and goodliness. This monk must have been getting lessons from Abhisit - or the other way round.

[how241]

He seems to be a master of many things except living the life of a monk.

+1

[mrfill]

And people believe him. I say no more.....

Yep. And hundreds of millions of people believe equally ridiculous things and have done so for thousands of years.

Only back to 4004BC according to the teachings in some schools...

[marell]

What is so difficult about throwing this yahoo in gaol and throwing away the key?

Well, for one thing he's out of the country on holiday right now.

[indyuk]

I quite frankly dispair over the leach like attachment that most Thai have for this severely corupted form of an otherwise compassionate and pasterol religeon that seeks to serve the World and it's faithfull.

[Mudcrab]

Keep knocking the uneducated populace of this country while remembering Jim Jones and Jimmy Swaggert and the first world followers they had. Chuck in a few paedophile priests for good measure and this Monk doesn't even come close to the evil of the western practices.

[Windy]

a master of marketing facing very naive people who believe whatever you can tell them.

Sounds just like the catholic church.

[imjustagirl]

puzzled by this.....

When he came up with the idea of casting a giant Emerald Buddha statue, he also insisted a god had directed him to do so.

i thought buddha was an enlightened being, not a god...do they have gods in buddhism? i thought not .....i may be wrong but thats kinda what i liked about the the path of buddha......