Latest news with #NOB
Bangkok Post
3 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Police to make background checks on all monks nationwide
Police will check the backgrounds of about 300,000 Buddhist monks nationwide in the wake of the scandal involving several senior monks and a woman known as 'Sika Golf', who was arrested on Tuesday. Police have asked the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) for the ID card numbers of all Buddhist monks in Thailand so they could make background checks for miscreants and felons, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, (CIB) said on Wednesday. There were about 300,000 monks in the country, he said. Police would also revive all the old cases against monks that the NOB previously dismissed, he said. The deputy commissioner said cooperation with the NOB had not been smooth in the past. The NOB did not seem serious about solving the problems. Ongoing action would not be lenient, he stressed. "I don't want these problems to remain a cancer in the side of Buddhism," he said. Police were determined to investigate monkly misbehaviour in the interests of protecting Buddhism, but disciplinary authority rested with the NOB, the deputy CIB chief said. The current uptick in action against misbehaving monks started after the Royal Thai Police Office recently opened a centre dedicated to tackling the issue, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said. The centre was overwhelmed with misconduct complaints, including senior monks having sexual relations with women other than "Sika Golf". Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat was referring to Wilawan 'Golf' Emsawat, 35, who was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province on Tuesday for supporting a senior monk's embezzlement of temple funds, laundering money and receiving stolen goods. She is suspected of having sexual relations with about 10 monks, some of them elderly and revered, and receiving and extorting huge sums of money from them. Police said they have considerable evidence, including videos of Ms Golf involved in sexual activities with monks found stored in her mobile phones. Police said they intend to lay more charges against her. Sika is a traditional Thai term used to refer to a woman who is associated with a monk.
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Sangha Act to be revised
The Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) will form a special committee to revise monastic regulations following a high-profile sexual scandal involving 11 monks and a woman known as "Miss Golf". After a special meeting yesterday, Assoc Prof Chatchapol Chaiyaporn, acting secretary-general of the SSC, said the Supreme Patriarch was concerned about the impact of the incident on the credibility of the monastic order. The council acknowledged the Sangha Act, passed in 1962, is no longer suitable for addressing present-day challenges and called for immediate reforms. The act has been amended three times -- in 1992, 2017, and 2018 -- but none of the amendments touched the core issue of the management of monks. The 2018 amendment, for instance, shifted the power to appoint the Supreme Patriarch and Sangha Council members from the council to royal authorities. "A new special committee will be formed to safeguard Buddhism, review the Sangha Act and other laws, and enhance public communication. The proposal will be submitted to the Supreme Patriarch for approval," he said. The meeting also agreed that senior monks must monitor others under their authority. Should a breach of the monastic code be found, the relevant superior must suspend the monk immediately and submit evidence to the monastic authorities for further action. Monastic misconduct, he noted, may also constitute a criminal offence, as monks are regarded as public officials under the law. The council also called on the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to strengthen its procedures and sought government support in restructuring the agency to better protect the religion. "All actions must align with Dhamma-Vinaya principles, uphold justice, and protect the innocent," he said. Intaporn Jan-iaem, director of the NOB, said the council is reviewing the 11 names submitted by Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau. Six monks, including former abbots and senior monks from various temples in Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Saraburi, and Chachoengsao, have been disrobed to date. Out of the remaining five, two monks from Phitsanulok and Bangkok could not be contacted. SSC have ordered the northern and central regional monk chiefs to summon them with clear deadlines. Non-compliance may result in removal from office, he said. Two senior monks from Bangkok and Phichit are still in the monkhood pending a disciplinary review, while the abbott of Wat Chujit Thammaram in Ayutthaya resigned from his position yesterday. Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat has ordered the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) to visit Wat Chujit Thammaram, Wat Yai Chom Prasat in Samut Sakhon and Wat Kalayanamit and Wat Prayurawongsawat in Bangkok this week. The investigation will focus on the temples' financial transactions in an effort to determine if temple funds were diverted to pay off Ms Golf.
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Sangha Act to be revised after senior monks' sex scandals
The Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) will form a special committee to revise monastic regulations following a high-profile sex scandal involving 11 monks and a woman known as 'Miss Golf'. After a special meeting on Sunday, Assoc Prof Chatchapol Chaiyaporn, acting secretary-general of the SSC, said that the Supreme Patriarch was highly concerned about the impact of the incident on the credibility of the monastic order. The council acknowledged that the Sangha Act, which was passed in 1962, is no longer suitable for addressing present-day challenges and called for immediate reforms. The Sangha Act has been amended three times — in 1992, 2017, and 2018 — but none of the amendments touched the core issue of the management of monks. The 2018 amendment, for instance, shifted the power to appoint the Supreme Patriarch and Sangha Council members from the council to royal authorities. "A new special committee will be formed to safeguard Buddhism, review the Sangha Act and other related laws, and enhance public communication. The proposal will be submitted to the Supreme Patriarch for approval," he said. The meeting also agreed that senior monks must monitor others under their authority. Should a breach of the monastic code be found, the relevant superior must suspend the monk immediately and submit evidence to the monastic authorities for further action. Monastic misconduct, he noted, may also constitute a criminal offence, as monks are regarded as public officials under Thai law. The council also called on the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to strengthen its procedures and requested government support in restructuring the agency to better protect the religion. "All actions must align with Dhamma-Vinaya principles, uphold justice, and protect the innocent," he said. Intaporn Jan-iaem, director of the NOB said the council is reviewing the 11 names submitted by Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau. Six monks, including former abbots and senior monks from various temples in Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Saraburi, and Chachoengsao, have been disrobed to date. Out of the remaining five, two monks from Phitsanulok and Bangkok could not be contacted. SSC have ordered the northern and central regional monk chiefs to summon them with clear deadlines. Non-compliance may result in removal from office, he said. Two senior monks from Bangkok and Phichit are still in monkhood pending a disciplinary review, while the abbott of Wat Chujit Thammaram in Ayutthaya resigned from his position on Sunday. Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat has ordered the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) to visit Wat Chujit Thammaram, Wat Yai Chom Prasat in Samut Sakhon and Wat Kalayanamit and Wat Prayurawongsawat in Bangkok this week. The investigation will focus on the temples' financial transactions in an effort to determine if temple funds were diverted to pay off Ms Golf.
Bangkok Post
5 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Disgraced ex-monks in sex scandal face embezzlement probe
The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) is considering criminal complaints against former senior monks embroiled in a major sex scandal if an investigation finds they embezzled money from temples. The office said in a Facebook post on Friday that all former monks found to have had relations with a woman would face legal action if evidence shows their wealth was derived from temple funds. It did not name the woman, but she is widely known by her nickname Golf. The office overseeing Buddhist affairs so far has confirmed that four monks had voluntarily left the monkhood. They are: Thep Wachiratheeraporn, an ex-abbot of Wat Phra Phutthachai in Saraburi province Thep Wachiratheerakhun, an assistant to the Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen abbot in Bangkok Boonlert Inthapanyo, a former monk at Wat Mai Yai Paen in Bangkok Siriwiriyathada, an ex-assistant to the abbot of Wat Sothornwararam in Chachoengsao province. The former Phra Khru Siriwiriyathada was the latest disgraced monk to disrobe, at the Charoen Dhamma Forest Monastery in Kaeng Khro district in Chaiyaphum province on Thursday. 'Please respect the privacy of those who have left the monkhood,' the office said. 'Those who are found to have embezzled money from the temples [and given it](#) to the woman will face legal action from authorities.' Police are confident that at least seven or eight former and present monks had engaged in relationships with the 35-year-old woman. Thairath reported some monks had disappeared from their temples after the scandal came to light. Temples to be targeted by investigators include two in Phichit province and one each in Phetchabun, Khon Kaen and Samut Sakhon provinces, it added. The sex scandal that has rocked Thai Buddhism police carried out a covert investigation into money transfers from Wat Tritossathep in Bangkok to Ms Golf. The transfers were conducted by then Phra Thepwachirapamok, 54. After becoming aware of the investigation, the monk quietly resigned from his monastic duties at Wat Chan Samakkhi in Muang district of Nong Khai province. His current whereabouts are unknown but he was reported to have crossed the border into neighbouring Laos. Police raided Ms Golf's house in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province on July 4 and were stunned to find over 80,000 images and videos on five mobile phones showing her romantic liaisons with senior monks. Investigators have been unable to take action against the former monks because no damaged parties have come forward to register complaints with law enforcement authorities. The present law governing the religion stops short of punishment for wayward monks and lay people who cause damage to the religion. Meanwhile, Pol Lt Gen Jaroonkiat Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said on Friday that the woman involved appears to have acted mostly alone. She might have had limited assistance from someone acting in the capacity of a driver who facilitated her meetings with the monks, he added. 'Turning crisis into opportunity' NOB director Ittiporn Chan-iam has vowed to 'turn this crisis into an opportunity' by recalling a bill first drafted three years ago to push for an amendment that would add harsher penalties for wrongdoing. The present version of the draft bill to support and protect the Buddhist religion bars the office from seeking a penalty for people offending or damaging monks, and it can only force violators of monastic rules to disrobe. They can then walk free. Mr Ittiporn said the office is proposing jail terms of one to seven years and/or fines ranging from 20,000 to 140,000 baht for monks who are expelled from the order due to serious violations of the monastic code. The same penalties would apply to laypersons, regardless of gender, who knowingly engage in sexual acts with monks or novices, he said. The bill also targets monks who falsely claim supernatural powers to deceive or manipulate followers, subjecting them to similar penalties. The office would consult Suchart Tancharoen, the minister to the Prime Minister's Office in charge of religious affairs, the NOB chief said. A committee would be set up to work on the proposed changes, subject to approval by the Sangha Supreme Council, he added. Nipit Intarasombat, a former Democrat MP and culture minister, said he agreed a binding law aligned with the Vinaya (monastic code) is necessary. He proposed legal sanctions, including imprisonment, for monks found guilty of sexual misconduct. 'Although monastic disciplinary measures such as expulsion exist, they are no longer sufficient to preserve the sanctity of the religion,' Mr Nipit wrote on Facebook. 'Without legal consequences, such misconduct will continue unchecked. It's time to legislate clear penalties, for both monks and laypeople involved.' He further emphasised that any monk unable to uphold the monastic code should voluntarily disrobe rather than tarnish the religion's image.
Bangkok Post
5 days ago
- Bangkok Post
Disgraced ex-monks in sex scandal under embezzlement probe
The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) is mulling criminal complaints against former senior monks if an investigation finds they embezzled money from temples. The office said in a Facebook post on Friday that all former monks with relations to a woman would face legal action if evidence shows their wealth derives from temple funds. The office did not name the woman, but she is widely known by her nickname Golf. The office overseeing Buddhist affairs so far has confirmed that four monks voluntarily left the monkhood. They are: Thep Wachiratheeraporn, an ex-abbot of Wat Phra Phutthachai in Saraburi province Thep Wachiratheerakhun, an assistant to the Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen abbot in Bangkok Boonlert Inthapanyo, a former monk at Wat Mai Yai Paen in Bangkok Siriwiriyathada, an ex-assistant to the abbot of Wat Sothornwararam in Chachoengsao province Former Phra Khru Siriwiriyathada was the latest disgraced monk to disrobe at Charoen Dhamma Forest Monastery in Kaeng Khro district in Chaiyaphum province on Thursday. "Please respect the privacy of those who have left the monkhood," the office said. "Those who are found to have embezzled money from the temples [and given it] to the woman will face legal action from authorities." Police are confident that at least seven or eight former and present monks had engaged in relationships with the 35-year-old woman. Thairath reported some monks had disappeared from their temples after the scandal came to light. Temples to be targeted by investigators include two in Phichit province and one each in Phetchabun, Khon Kaen and Samut Sakhon provinces, it added. The sex scandal that has rocked Thai Buddhism started when police carried out a covert investigation into money transfers from Wat Tritossathep in Bangkok to Ms Golf. The transfers were conducted by then Phra Thepwachirapamok, 54. After becoming aware of the probe, the monk quietly resigned from his monastic duties at Wat Chan Samakkhi in Muang district of Nong Khai province, and his whereabouts have remained unknown ever since. Police raided Ms Golf's house in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province on July 4 and were stunned to find over 80,000 images and video clips on five mobile phones showing her romantic conversations with other senior monks. Investigators have been unable to take action against the former monks because no damaged parties have come forward to register complaints with law enforcement authorities. The present law governing the religion stops short of punishment for wayward monks and lay people who cause damage to monks. 'Turning crisis into opportunity' NOB director Ittiporn Chan-iam on Thursday vowed to "turn this crisis into an opportunity" by recalling a draft bill to push for an amendment that would add harsher penalties for wrongdoing, media outlets reported. The present version of the draft bill to support and protect the Buddhist religion bars the office from seeking a penalty for people offending or damaging monks, and the office can only force violators of monastic rules to disrobe. They can then walk free. Mr Ittiporn said the office favoured fines and jail terms for offenders – both ordinary people and monks – with fines between 20,000 and 140,000 baht and/or a jail term from one to seven years. The office would consult Suchart Tancharoen, the minister to the Prime Minister's Office in charge of religious affairs, on the plan, the NOB chief said. A committee would be set up to work on the proposed change if the minister agrees, and a final call is needed from the Sangha Supreme Council, he added.
