Saffron Angels & Rogues

[GWR]

25 March 2007 Temple abbot charged with vehicular manslaughter
A temple abbot in Ayutthaya province is being held on charges of mass vehicular manslaughter.

The watch commander of the Bangpahan (บางปะหัน) district precinct, Pol Lt Col Sawong Panwai (สวงค์ ภรรไวย ), reported that a road accident occured on the Ban Khalor (บ้านขล้อ)-Nakorn Luang (นครหลวง) Road in Bangpahan (บางปะหัน) district of Ayutthaya province. Pol Lt Col Sawong said that a pickup truck driven by Phra-Maha Prasarn Siripattho (พระมหาประสาร สิริพัฒโท ), the Abbot of Khote Khemaram (โขดเขมาราม) Temple, collided with a motorbike, killing all three riders onboard.

Authorities report that Phra-Maha Prasarn was driving at high speeds from Nakorn Luang district to return to his temple when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a passing motorbike. Police have charged the abbot with homicide resulting from reckless driving.

Meanwhile the Secretary General of the Ayutthaya Abbot's Council, Phra-Yharn Trailoke (พระญาณไตรโลก), said that council members are currently investigating the matter and would discharge Phra-Maha Prasarn from his temple abbot post if found guilty of the charges.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter06

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255003250004&news_headline=Temple

[z0g]

Hi,
I have been reading 2bangkok for ages, just thought I'd contribute this interesting local news site for Koh Phangnan, quite a few news articles on incidents that appear to have otherwise slipped under the radar, for instance the mysterious "suicide" of a local monk.

link: http://kohphangannews.org/index.php

[GWR]

zOg, we could do with someone to keep an eye on Koh Phangan. I have to admit that I have never been there. Not even Koh Samui for that matter!:

http://kohphangannews.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=201&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

I thought you might just find it easier to go straight to the article, which contains a lot of photos. So I won't copy the text.

This looks like the kind of disclaimer that only Kho Phangan could generate:

Disclaimer: ALL characters and events in this website -- even those based on REAL people -- are entirely fictional! ANY similarity to actual persons and events is UNINTENTIONAL! This Website might also contain coarse language and due to its content it should not be viewed by anyone!

[z0g]

I haven't been there for a few years, though I have fond memories of both Samui and Phagnan, I was a Full Moon Party regular (and even got to DJ at one!) during the early part of the decade.

But still interesting to see the strange happenings such a high influx of tourists and their money can bring over time.

[GWR]

Friday, August 31, 2007
Wai the need for violence?

PHITSANULOK: Religious institutions are intended to be places of peace and goodwill, but a temple in Phitsanulok recently proved to be anything but when a monk who thought a nun had disrespected him responded by beating her.

At 9 am August 21, Maechi Phronchon Chomphukpan, 53, a nun at Wat Ban Khek in Nakhon Thai District, walked into the local district police station with her face swollen and covered in bruises. There she recounted to Duty Officer Lt Thanaphon Mekbut a bizarre story of intra-wat aggression.

Maechi Phronchon, who had lived at the temple for decades, said that the previous afternoon she had been walking to the bathroom behind the temple when she passed by a resident monk, identified only as “Phra Nom”, who was sleeping in a hammock. Suddenly the cleric shouted at her, demanding to know why she had not graced him with a wai.

“Nuns have to wai monks whenever they pass them,” he exclaimed allegedly in a drunken manner.

Maechi Phronchon apologized, saying that she had not noticed him. This was not good enough for Phra Nom, however. He launched into a tirade of insults so severe that Maechi Phronchon could only stand cowed, she said.

After his insults had run dry, Phra Nom demanded that Maechi Phronchon go and fetch her bankbook so he could “check that she had not been embezzling temple funds”. Maechi Phronchon refused on the grounds that Phra Nom was just a rank-and-file monk, with no authority to inspect her financial records.

This only to enraged Phra Nom further. Jumping down out of his hammock, he slapped and punched her until she fell down, she told police. He then sat on Maechi Phronchon’s neck and banged her head against the ground and wall until her face was bruised and bloodied.

Source: Komchadluek

http://www.phuketgazette.com/queernews/index.asp?ref=2007831113213

[GWR]

In my view, a 'monk' who talks to the press about his political future while still robed isn't a monk and never has been a real monk:

Phra Premsak says he will talk about his political future after he leaves monkhood


Phra Premsak Pemsakako or former Thai Rak Thai MP Premsak Piayura said Friday he would leave the monkhood at the end of October and would unveil his political future.

He said he would leave his monkhood at the end of the Buddhist Lent at the end of next month.

He said he had not decided about his political future yet because he would wait to make decision after he leaves the monkhood first.

He said 4 or 5 political parties had approached him but he made no decision.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30049762

Related thread on the controversial depiction of monks in art:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?p=18161#post18161

[mdechgan]

Ahh!

There is nothing or nowhere in the world can one find a monk pimp slapping a nun other than in Thailand.

Where else can one find a monk that enters politics?

I love this place.
Nowhere in the world can one experience Thai customs, culture, history, and heritage. "Amazing Thailand"