When it comes to holy men, monks are one of the first imagery that jumps to mind. After all, they are supposed to be unaffected by vices and keep their spirit pure. Unfortunately, some monks in Thailand have disapproved that.
A video recently went viral on Thai social media showing a few monks having a drinking party. Additionally, it was revealed that one of the monks had been in a relationship with a novice. What a scandal!
This isn’t the first time monks at the Nikom Kitiyaram temple have been caught drinking. In fact, the villagers living near the temple have complained that they often gather to drink and make “noise”. Additionally, they have reported the matter to the police before. However, the abbot of the temple, Prachot Kittikhun claimed that this was old footage.
The video showed 8 monks and novices drinking and eating in their rooms. The monks were singing “happy birthday” although it was not clear whose birthday it was. As it turns out, one of the monks had wanted to host the party because they had broken up with a novice. This was discovered via a screenshot of some messages that was also posted on social media. Another video released also showed 2 monks in an intimate relationship as they hugged each other and had sex.
The abbot explained that this had happened 2 months ago during the new year. Apparently, the monk and novice who were discovered to be in an intimate relationship were from a different province and not part of the temple. However, the duo have been forced to leave monkhood since the videos went viral. The other monks are still at the temple and will be questioned and punished accordingly.
Many feel that correction is needed and that temples should be stricter with their monks. After all, they, to a certain degree, are representatives of Buddhism. This debauchery has certainly upset several people. Well, hopefully the monks can find a different way to let loose, if need be, next time!
Sources: China Press, Thaiger, Thairath, YouTube (1)(2)
