My past gf's brother was a real scumbag and became a monk... So I should respect him??? Not a chance !!! Later he dropped out of monk hood and returned to being the same POS.

I do notice that a lot of them have tattoos, frequently hinting at mis-spent pre-monkhood past. I often wonder if some of these guys will remain monks after the statute of limitations (or just local citizen & police memory of the offences they were being sought for) has expired.

i don't know if this happens in thailand but in cambodia a convicted criminal has the option to avoid jail by becoming a monk.

If a "monk" asks me for money I tell him to <deleted> off. Simple really.

Remember, they just men in orange robes!

there are more phoney monks out there now than ever before! Iwill never trust or wai a young monk because I have come to believe that they are just punks who found a way to get free stuff! I am watching the older monks too!

one day at chang puak bus station , a old monk saw my necklace and say suey mak and ask me if i have money to give , i say i no have sorry

if i want give money is because i want , not because someone force me

Buddhism is a business selling hope and lucky numbers

They may not have been real monks ,just some skin heads up to a bit of Monkey Bussiness.

All kind of religion is outdated crap, not only Buddhism.

I saw a very apt quote for this time of year (Peace and Goodwill to all men etc) a few days ago which is worth reposting here :-

"Having a war about religion is like having a fight over who's got the best imaginary friend."

Quote by Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (1929 - 2004).

Just about covers it for me!

My past gf's brother was a real scumbag and became a monk... So I should respect him??? Not a chance !!! Later he dropped out of monk hood and returned to being the same POS.

I do notice that a lot of them have tattoos, frequently hinting at mis-spent pre-monkhood past. I often wonder if some of these guys will remain monks after the statute of limitations (or just local citizen & police memory of the offences they were being sought for) has expired.

i don't know if this happens in thailand but in cambodia a convicted criminal has the option to avoid jail by becoming a monk.

By the way, where is Suthep these days?

By this time, I've seen so many monks who smoke, drink alcohol, and basically make a living out of begging for their food, that I've become of the opinion that many if not most of them are just professional bums. I once took a girlfriend to a local temple here in Chiang Mai, and the monk there, who was smoking and drinking, proceeded to hit on her in Thai, as he didn't think I understood the language. The root idea of being a monk is to reach "emptiness" through almost total deprivation. So why are so many of these monks walking around with the latest smart phones also? If these robed individuals want to reach some level of spiritual perfection, I let them do it on their own dime, because I'll never give them one of mine. I earned it. People giving food and money to monks only enables their sloth in the same way a welfare check does.

They used to say to me in the forces. " You are not saluting the man, you salute the uniform he represents "

But there if an officer does act in a manner that does not befit the uniform he is charged with Conduct Unbecomming and may not have the uniform to be saluted.

Just as if an Officer is saluted he is duty bound to return the compliment.

today they want 100, tomorrow 500b.

This guy will be a worm in his next life and I can tell you it is not easy to behave decently as a worm to be upgraded to next level of species.

I sometimes meet people dressed as monks and asking for money, if they ask, they're not real monks.

This guy will be a worm in his next life and I can tell you it is not easy to behave decently as a worm to be upgraded to next level of species.

Obviously you have experience as a worm then?

I have always wondered, do you feel pain when skewered by a hook, before being used for fish bait?

I want to thank you Mr. Worm for providing me with hours of boyhood joy while fishing and helping supply us with grilled bass for the evening meal.

Without you, this would not be possible.

I sometimes meet people dressed as monks and asking for money, if they ask, they're not real monks.

Just a guy trying to make ends meet. We are lucky we can afford the moral high round not to have to do that.

They can be amusing though, many many years ago in Munich i passed a beggar sitting in the entrance of a shopping mall,''Have you got 10 Marks to spare'' he asked, i was somewhat taken aback normally they asked for a mark. ''That's a bit steep isn't it,it's normally a Mark'' ''Ahhh but i'm a professional don't get mixed up with these amateur's, i'm worth every pfennig'' I gave him 5 marks for his cheek and the chuckle i got out of it.

Always nice to see a learned monk demonstrate his knowledge by giving a visible sign as to how he's conquered his ego ....

It was just brought to my (fairly naive) attention, that there have been movements afoot, for a number of years already, by vague groups of people who are intent on dis-crediting Buddhism in Thailand. - In fact, there recently was a case of 4 Muslims, who shaved their heads, donned the Orange Robes and started going around, generally giving totally wrong signals in order to make Buddhism look bad.

Karma will catch-up with them, I trust . . . .

Got a link for that story?

a crackdown on unqualified monks would be most appreciated

It's a long shot, but he might have tourettes.

Well done Mr. Chayuti. It must be a hard to think and act outside the normal Thai paradigm. Wai, bow, scrape, get on your knees, spit out money and food, no eye contact. Pffft. Bloody nonsense.

This religion krap has gone too far and is as corrupt as any other man-made power and control mechanism.

very true. i don't believe in the khrap (pun intended) and in all these years here i have never bothered to deal with buddhism, real or fake, same like i don't deal with islam, christianity or any other sect.

He was not a monk. He was a gangster. It happens everywhere.

More of this, please. Myanmar workers I know have told me many times ( over 20 years) that Thais don't follow the true path of Buddhism, no matter how well intentioned. Now I understand that remark.

trust me, monks in burma aren't much better. 555. lived there and go to any teashop and u'll see monks selling lottery numbers as well as fake (photoshopped) pictures with eg. flying monks, 5 headed cobra's, etc. oh and don't forget about good old Wirathu and 969.

religion is manmade and therefore corrupted. yes there are good monks but there are also good priests and good imams.

Buddhism in Thailand is merely an insult of Buddha.