Phuket – Monk defrocked after alleged drunk, drugged altercation at funeral

Via: Phuket Gazette

A monk has been defrocked in Phuket and is being held by police after a violent and possibly drug-induced incident at a cremation ceremony this morning.

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At about 10am Nusit Phanu, reportedly leapt from a wall at Wat Saensuk temple in Phuket Town and seized a 12-year-old girl by her neck.
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Mr Nusit was was reportedly seen drunk near the temple earlier this morning.
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“He jumped from the wall and came directly at my daughter,” said Thawatchai Pongpetchwiset.

(Man, if that doesn’t give you nightmares, I don’t know what will)

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“It looked like he was going to strangle her, but she managed to run away,” he said.

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Mr Thawatchai and his cousin, Teerapat Chidchiew, moved to protect the young girl, but the Mr Nusit allegedly fought back and kicked Mr Teerapat in the shoulder.
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Although Mr Thawatchai said there were other monks in the area when the incident occurred, Mr Nusit was the only person apprehended until the Phuket City Police arrived.
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Police held Mr Nusit at the temple until he calmed down.
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The abbot of Wat Saensuk defrocked Mr Nusit before the police took him to the Phuket City Police Station.
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“Nusit Phanu isn’t from this temple, he came from Northeastern Thailand more than three years ago,” said one of the monks at the temple who wished to remain anonymous. “This man is always drunk, and he probably uses drugs,” he added.

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Witnesses who also asked to remain anonymous have confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that they could smell alcohol on Mr Nusit’s breath.
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Mr Nusit is currently being held at Phuket City Police Station.

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http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article15993.html

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Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do whatcha gonna do?

When they come for you?

Bad boys bad boys whatcha gonna do?

Whatcha gonna do whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

- Bob Marley

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Thailand – Gang of Gambling Monks Arrested

Via: City News – Chiang Mai

At around 8 p.m., April 29th, Pol.Col. Tawatchai Yumak, Chief of Inquiries Division 1 arrested 11 gamblers with in an unnamed location for gambling. Police found at the scene dice used for gambling and some cash.

Three monks were arrested, including 44 year-old Phra Kru Kosolpariyatvisit, the abbot of Wat Tha Kham, and also the dean monk of Mae Hia. The others were, 34 year-old Phra Suphot Siriwanno, the abbot of Wat Wang Sa Kaeng in Lamphun; 47 year-old Phra Sawaeng Panyavilo, the abbot of Wat Wang Sa Kaeng in Lamphun. Also arrested was who police called the ‘hostess’,  Nuan ‘the hostess, with the mostest’ Reunpaeng, 52, and 8 other secular gamblers.

The three monks will be expelled from the monkhood by the vice dean monk of Lamphun before being sent to Pa Sang Police Station in Lamphun for prosecution.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=225

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photo: The future plans for expansion on now on, ‘hold’.

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Thailand (After?)

Via: Thai Asean News Network

A famous monk, who’s the head monk of the Tung Ngam Substation in Lampang, was disrobed in bed after (AFTER?) being discovered in bed with a woman.

Anywhooo, villagers surrounded (see photo) the 45-year old Phra Kru Wisit Sathukarn’s 10-million baht ($322,580.65 USD) golden teak wood accomodation  late in the night at Ban Mua Temple in bed with a woman.

Here we go, after opening a door to his bedroom, villagers found him naked in bed with 35-year old Saipin Chumti which resulted in an immediate disrobing of the monk.

Villagers said they’ve suspected his sexual activities for quite some time and have even asked his relatives to warn him to stop but he refused to listen to them so they had to take matters into their own hands and catch him in the act.

The monk confessed to being sexually involved with the woman for over a year and apologized to the villagers for betraying their trust.

The following day the elderly in the village conducted a ceremony to ward off misfortune from the monk’s behavior.

The monk is a famous preacher with a lot of followers. He did so well with donations that he was able to construct a golden teak wood accommodation for himself with a budget of 10 million baht ($322,580.65 USD).

He entered the monkhood since the age of 12 and has always been at the Ban Mua Temple until he was named the head monk of the subdistrict.

The woman in question lived close to the temple and started her affair with the monk after being separated from her husband (oh yeah, after).

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=thailand+defrocked+monk&oq=thailand+defrocked+monk&aq=f&aqi=d1d-o1&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=3342l15453l0l18328l25l25l0l17l3l0l280l1252l0.2.4l6l0#pq=lampang+monk&hl=en&gs_nf=1&ds=n&cp=24&gs_id=3c&xhr=t&q=Phra+Kru+Wisit+Sathukarn&pf=p&gl=us&tbm=nws&sclient=psy-ab&pbx=1&oq=Phra+Kru+Wisit+Sathukarn&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c89bebb00471f094&biw=1249&bih=516&bs=1

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Chiang Mai – 12,600 monks collect donations for flood victims

Via: Chiang Mai Mail

The long procession of monks and Buddhist faithful offering alms to make merit takes place in Chiang Mai annually but this year members of the public were encouraged to donate items for flood victims to the 12, 600 monks who processed along Chang Klan Road. The early morning alms giving saw thousands of people line the streets to offer donations of food, water, and goods to the monks who then turned the proceeds over to be sorted, loaded into a truck and delivered to people suffering from the flooding in Central Thailand and Bangkok. Government officials, businesspeople and local residents were all on hand in the early morning of Sunday, November 27, 2011 to make merit by donating to the monks.

http://chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd5

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Chiang Mai – Buddhism

Thailand has a population of 60 million, with +95% being Buddhist. I’m guesstimating here, but I believe Chiang Mai might be +/-98% Buddhist.

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side-story:

I love to walk, and I especially love to walk the small streets/alleys (sois) of Chiang Mai.

About a year ago, I was walking down a narrow residential soi, and I passed a small stand; folding table, stool, and a  ratty old beach umbrella to keep away either the hot sun and/or the heavy rain.

The young women smiled at me; and said, ‘Sawadi ka’, which is Thai for hello.

I returned the smile, and said, ‘Sawadi krup’.

Over the next week this rountine was repeated each time I walked by, but I didn’t stop because none of the Thai sweets looked very appetizing, to me anyway.

And then one VERY HOT DAY, I saw her stock an Igloo cooler with bottled water.

I thought, yeah, got to get some of that!

She handed me a bottle, but it wasn’t cold; which meant, I had to ‘Pull a Marcel’.

She was obviously a fan of the late Monsieur Marceau, and understood the, “fold my arms and shiver” thingy.

She reached into the cooler, and pulled out a bottle. It wasn’t to her liking, so she reached in again, this time VERY DEEP.

She presented it to me like a sommelier would seek approval for a, ’1985 – Chateau Gruaud-Larose’.

oui-oui

I gestured ‘how much?’, and she held up eight-fingers (a five and three combination).

I gave her a ten-baht coin ($.30), and indicated she should keep the two-baht ($.06).

She didn’t understand that at all, and continued to look for the two-baht change.

I finally held up ten-fingers (a five and five combination), and indicated the ten-baht was for her.

She was VERY SURPRISED; smiled, wai’d me, and said, “khup khun kaaaaaa”!

The routine became a little more sophisticated because she would spot me coming down the soi 20-30 meters away, point to the cooler, and gesture; “Yes? No? What?”

If I indicate NO; as I pass, we simply exchange, “Sawadi kaaaaaa, Khun Jon“; and, “Sawadi krup, Khun Ae”.

If I indicate YES; she selects the coldest of the cold, dries it on her apron, peel of the little plastic doohickey, and opens it for me.

I recognize this as an example of kindness, in its purest form.

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Q: So, what does this have to Buddhism?

A: On the concrete block wall behind her stand she has a small, inexpensive statue of Buddha.

And slightly below Buddha, she has a very inexpensive ‘bud vase’ where she places a fresh-cut flower; sometimes red, sometimes yellow, and sometimes white; seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year.

I believe, it has EVERYTHING to do with her belief in the teachings of Lord Buddha.

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“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama; a.k.a. ‘a simple Buddhist monk’

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Bangkok: Thai monks trade gun and theft claims

Via: AFP

Buddhist monastic life usually conjures images of serenity and peace, but monks at one Thai temple have lodged rival police complaints alleging lies, theft and threats at gunpoint.

Jirawat Pasanano said he was forced to leave his temple after two fellow monks beat him up, brandished a gun at him and demanded he quit his lucrative morning alms route in Bangkok, according to a police spokesman.

But the two accused men, Pitch Prapasaro, 26, and a monk known as Auan filed a counter-complaint.

They claim the 44-year-old Jirawat made up the gun incident to get back at Auan, who had accused him of using the temple’s name to collect donations that he pocketed himself.

Auan, who is believed to be in his fifties, insisted he had no motive for wanting the alms route.

“It is totally untrue that I used a gun to intimidate him. I have poor health and stopped walking to collect alms five years ago,” he told reporters.

An official at the Buddhism Protection division at the Office of National Buddhism said the case was very unusual, adding that no investigation had yet been launched into the monks’ behaviour.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iKVxApNR8vAAoKihjgr4p304CJFQ?docId=CNG.6431b89ca1434a2be11cbe5d54351da6.1a1

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Thailand cracks down on religious tattoos

Via: Pattaya Daily News

Thailand has ordered a crackdown on foreign tourists having religious images tattooed on their bodies while visiting the kingdom, official media said on Wednesday.

Tattoos with images such as of the Buddha may offend Thai people, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat was quoted as telling reporters.

He said his ministry had asked regional governors, particularly in tourist hotspots, to inspect tattoo studios and ask them not to use religious patterns, according to the state-run National News Bureau.

It said he would push for a law banning people from etching sacred images onto their skin.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2011/06/02/thailand-cracks-down-on-religious-tattoos/

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