Monk Facing Lottery Probe

[george]

Monk facing lottery probe

NAKHON SAWAN: -- The Religious Affairs Department yesterday ordered an investigation into a monk who sparked a lottery-buying frenzy by allegedly providing the winning numbers.

Department director-general Preecha Kantiya also demanded that the results of the investigation be available within three days.

Phra Lek will be defrocked and legal action taken against him if his behaviour is found to have been fraudulent, Preecha said.

The move follows news reports that thousands of people flocked to Lad Tipparos Temple in Nakhon Sawan's Takhli district ahead of the June 16 lottery draw to seek winning numbers from Phra Lek. The monk was said to have given the winning numbers to people for the ninth consecutive time for the June 1 draw.

So far, none of the numbers provided by the monk have been used to claim prizes in the June 16 draw.

Preecha said the abbot of Lad Tipparos Temple would also face disciplinary action if he knowingly allowed Phra Lek to provide lucky numbers.

However, he said such disciplinary action would not be taken if the investigation found that Phra Lek had not provided lucky numbers but people had tried to interpret clues from him.

National Buddhism Bureau acting director Boonsri Panajit said the bureau's branch in Nakhon Sawan would work closely with the province's chief monk chief as well as the district's chief monk in the investigation.

Boonsri said speculating on lottery numbers was an offence under monastic rules and the Supreme Sangha Council's orders.

"Punishments vary from warnings to defrockment," she said. At the same time, she called on the media to refrain from reporting the lucky numbers.

Wichai Dhammacharoen, an academic at the bureau, said that if Phra Lek had been able to divine the winning numbers punishment would be light, possibly just a warning, though repeatedly providing the numbers would warrant defrockment. However, if Phra Lek had merely been guessing the numbers he would be forced to leave the monkhood, Wichai said.

If Phra Lek deliberately conned people into believing he knew the winning numbers he would face legal action, Wichai said.

--The Nation 2006-06-20

[Patex]

I hope they defrock him

17 is one of my lucky numbers I play all the time, except the last draw... all bookmakers I know were too scared about this foretelling monk to take any numbers. This nutter robbed me 2000฿

[TokyoT]

Monk facing lottery probe

However, he said such disciplinary action would not be taken if the investigation found that Phra Lek had not provided lucky numbers but people had tried to interpret clues from him.

--The Nation 2006-06-20

Clues? How does one go about giving clues to the winning lottery numbers?

What did he do play a game of charades with them?

[astral]

Some people will believe anything.

Especially the Thais.

[veteran]

TIT

[jdinasia]

I hope they defrock him

17 is one of my lucky numbers I play all the time, except the last draw... all bookmakers I know were too scared about this foretelling monk to take any numbers. This nutter robbed me 2000฿

???? ^^^????

[Siripon]

He went one better than most outlandish monks, not only did he sleep in a coffin but he also slept in the tray\ carrier to put the corpse in the crematorium. I love the way his followers claim the results were fixed this time, implying the monk was set up!

See what he says for July 1.

[Heng]

This is what folks with no work ethic do. They pray for fortune to fall from the sky (out of the temple, shaking some lucky numbers from magic sticks, having fortune tellers whisper it to them, etc.) instead of actually working for it.

[Scott]

If I could pick the winning lottery numbers, I wouldn't be living in a temple!!