PRACHIN BURI, THAILAND – A video showing a Buddhist monk receiving a massage from a woman in a private home prompted investigations by police and religious authorities in Prachin Buri and ignited debate over monastic discipline.
Authorities review possible breach of Vinaya rules
Officials and local clergy examined whether the monk in the clip had violated Theravada Vinaya regulations, which strictly prohibit direct physical contact between monks and women. The incident raised questions among religious authorities over how such alleged breaches should be addressed.
Viral clip posted on Facebook page
The clip, circulated on 22 February, was published on the Facebook page หมอปลาช่วยด้วย and showed the monk inside a house in Wang Dan subdistrict in Kabin Buri district. According to Khaosod, the page’s operators commented that the woman in the footage was neither the monk’s mother nor a relative, triggering a heated online discussion over whether the scene reflected inappropriate intimacy or medical treatment.
Family of videographer describes disruption
Reporters later visited the home of 21-year-old factory worker Parichat, who lives there with her parents Thongsai and Amphorn, operators of a bamboo site. Parichat said she had recorded the clip on 20 February after the monk, whom she identified as Phra Samruay from a temple in Krok Sombun in Si Maha Phot district, had repeatedly come with two other monks to eat and rest at the house for hours, disturbing the family’s daily life.
Allegations of improper conduct by monk
The young woman stated that her mother knew Phra Samruay through bamboo and land dealings, but she personally found it unacceptable that he allowed a woman to massage him in their home, given that monks are forbidden any physical contact with women. She further accused him of calling her mother to request specific dishes, inviting her to restaurants and making suggestive remarks about having had nine previous wives, as well as comments about a mother’s resemblance to his wife.
Dispute over monk ID and call for official checks
Parichat and her sister told Khaosod they had asked local offices to examine the case and had tried to check Phra Samruay’s monk identification card, which he refused, arguing they had no right to do so. In response, Parichat took the issue to social media and sought help from the media, while her sister said Warin Sikkhachat, head of the Prachin Buri Provincial Buddhism Office, had been informed and would coordinate a visit with the clergy.
Abbot defends monk but stresses personal responsibility
The abbot of the temple currently hosting Phra Samruay told Khaosod he only learned of the conflict when Amphorn visited him and assured him she was close to the monk and respected him, while her daughter might have misunderstood the situation. He stressed that, to his knowledge, Phra Samruay had done nothing “harmful,” that the temple had verified his monk status before accepting him, but that he was not yet part of the official temple administration and therefore bore responsibility for his own behaviour.
Separate intimate video call case in Chiang Rai
Parallel to the Prachin Buri dispute, another clip caused controversy by allegedly showing a well-known abbot from a renowned temple in Chiang Rai province in an intimate video call with a man, leading to calls for his resignation. Initial inquiries suggested, according to Khaosod, that this second video may have been leaked out of jealousy and a falling-out among those involved, raising concerns over data privacy and internal conflicts within the clergy.