Monks were dismissed from a local Buddhist temple after failing drug tests in Thailand, leaving the religious institution empty.
In #Thailand, a Buddhist temple lost its monks. They could not pass a drug test
As part of an anti-drug raid, law enforcement officers suspected the monks of a small Buddhist temple in Phetchaboon province of using methamphetamine. The monks were sent to rehabilitation.
BBC pic.twitter.com/DzrbZ3aBHR— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 30, 2022
According to the reports, in the Bung Sam Phan district of Thailand, a local Buddhist temple defrocked all the monks after they failed drug tests, leaving zero monks in the temple last month.
Reports claim that in the northern province of Phetchabun, the abbot and three other monks tested positive for Methamphetamine (C10H15N).
Buddhist temple in Thailand left without any monks after they all failed drug tests https://t.co/9wEIyQUCw3
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 29, 2022
After the incident, Boonlert Thintapthai, a district official, said that the monks were later sent to undergo drug rehabilitation in a health clinic.
On November 28th, following a national campaign to tackle drug trafficking, the police administered urine tests in the temple, which the four men failed. However, it is unclear how the temple garnered the attention of the police authorities.
Thintapthai said the "temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making."
Merit-making is essential to Buddhist practice. Merit brings good and agreeable results, determines the quality of the next life, and contributes to a person's growth toward enlightenment. Believers gain a protective force through their good deeds, which in this case, by giving food to monks.
However, Thintapthai has also said that the district officials have contacted the local monastic chief for help to address the concerns of the worshippers. In return, the chief promised to assign some new monks to the temple in the Bung Sam Phan district.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha ordered a crackdown on drugs two months ago, right after a former police officer dismissed from the force for possessing methamphetamine killed 37 people by shooting in a nursery.
Over the years, the use of methamphetamine has become a growing concern in Thailand. According to the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime, drug-related seizures in Thailand reached an all-time high in 2021. The country has become a major transit point for methamphetamine, as the neighboring country of Myanmar is the world's biggest producer. Ultimately, the pills are sold on the streets at a price of around 50 Baht, approximately as cheap as $1.40.
