Two senior monks defrocked over sex videos
Officers from the police Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) set out on Wednesday to negotiate with senior monks who had allegedly been romantically involved with a woman to voluntarily leave the monkhood to prevent damage to the reputation of Buddhism.
The sex scandal was exposed after ACD police recovered over 80,000 images and videos from five mobile phones belonging to the woman, identified as 'Sika Kor', depicting intimate affairs between her and senior monks at well-known temples.
Authorities have so far identified eight monks, with three already confirmed to have violated monastic discipline warranting defrocking.
The first location police visited was Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen in Bangkok, where officers sought to hold talks with Phra Thep Wachiwatheerakun, the assistant abbot.
However, he had reportedly left the temple the day before and travelled to Chiang Mai. Authorities are coordinating efforts to locate him.
Police later went to Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan in Muang district of Chachoengsao province to meet Phra Khru Siriwiriyathada, the assistant abbot. However, he too was absent when the officers arrived. He had reportedly left for a religious ceremony and had not returned.
His vehicle was also missing, prompting a search to track his whereabouts.
On Wednesday afternoon, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), led a team to locate Phra Thep Wachiratheeraporn, the abbot of Wat Phra Phutthachai in Saraburi. The monk was intercepted in Samut Prakan while en route to purchase a new robe.
After officers presented him with videos and images featuring him having sex with the woman, he agreed to leave the monkhood. He was taken to Wat Trimit in Bangkok to formally renounce the monkhood in front of the principal Buddha image. (Story continues below)
Shortly afterward, police managed to locate the disgraced assistant abbot of Wat Paknam in Mae Taeng district of Chaing Mai. Phra Thep Wachiwatheerakun was at Wat Phrathat Sunantha at the time.
The officers presented him with video evidence and urged him to show responsibility by leaving the monkhood. The senior monk agreed.
Still at large is Phra Khru Siriviryathada of Wat Sothon.
Despite the voluntary defrocking of the two senior monks, investigations into possible financial misconduct are ongoing, said police.
Authorities are examining whether temple funds were misappropriated to support Sika Kor or for personal use, similar to the previous case involving Phra Thepwachirapamok, also known as Chao Khun Archawa, the former abbot of Wat Trisossathep in Bangkok.
The senior monk, 54, suddenly left the monkhood for an unknown reason and fled to Laos.
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