NONTHABURI, THAILAND – An abbot in Nonthaburi province resigned from the monkhood after being accused of having romantic relationships with six women, prompting religious authorities to investigate both his conduct and possible financial irregularities at the temple.
Viral videos trigger scandal
The scandal emerged after videos circulated on social media on 23 February, showing a woman identified only as Pong claiming to be the abbot’s first wife. In one clip, Pong was seen angrily confronting another woman she described as the abbot’s lover, accusing her of secretly meeting him outside the temple.
Pong also alleged in the video that the abbot had regularly transferred money to the other woman and arranged meetings whenever she asked him for funds. The woman was further accused of sending the monk a photo of her breast to obtain payments, a claim that fuelled public outrage over the alleged misconduct of a religious figure.
Abbot absent as media arrives
After the videos drew nationwide attention, television station Channel 8 visited Bua Kwan temple in Nonthaburi but did not find the abbot there. Another monk told the broadcaster that the abbot had gone on a meditation retreat, said he did not believe the accusations, and suggested the women in the video might have been arguing while drunk.
National Office of Buddhism steps in
Alongside the publicised footage, online rumours claimed the abbot had romantic relationships with four additional women beyond the two seen in the videos. In response, representatives of the National Office of Buddhism travelled to Bua Kwan temple on 23 February to discuss the case and possible measures with the provincial monastic chief of Nonthaburi.
Voluntary exit from monkhood
According to the provincial monastic chief, the abbot told authorities he would leave the monkhood within three days of the allegations becoming public, though it remained unclear whether he admitted wrongdoing. DailyNews reported that he met the deputy monastic chief the same day to take part in a formal ceremony releasing him from the monkhood.
Financial flows under scrutiny
Reports said the National Office of Buddhism would record the former abbot’s behaviour in its database and refer the case to higher monastic authorities. In addition, investigators were expected to review the temple’s financial flows and the origin of the funds the ex-abbot was alleged to have paid to the women involved.
Echoes of earlier high-profile case
The current scandal recalled a case from the previous year, when a woman named Golf made headlines nationwide for allegedly having relationships with at least eleven monks from various temples. At that time, Golf was said to have demanded 7.8 million baht from a prominent monk and threatened to expose their relationship, after which the monk left the robe and internal inquiries were launched.