Police to make background checks on all monks nationwide
Police have asked the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) for the ID card numbers of all Buddhist monks in Thailand so they could make background checks for miscreants and felons, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, (CIB) said on Wednesday.
There were about 300,000 monks in the country, he said.
Police would also revive all the old cases against monks that the NOB previously dismissed, he said.
The deputy commissioner said cooperation with the NOB had not been smooth in the past. The NOB did not seem serious about solving the problems.
Ongoing action would not be lenient, he stressed. "I don't want these problems to remain a cancer in the side of Buddhism," he said.
Police were determined to investigate monkly misbehaviour in the interests of protecting Buddhism, but disciplinary authority rested with the NOB, the deputy CIB chief said.
The current uptick in action against misbehaving monks started after the Royal Thai Police Office recently opened a centre dedicated to tackling the issue, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said.
The centre was overwhelmed with misconduct complaints, including senior monks having sexual relations with women other than "Sika Golf".
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat was referring to Wilawan 'Golf' Emsawat, 35, who was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province on Tuesday for supporting a senior monk's embezzlement of temple funds, laundering money and receiving stolen goods.
She is suspected of having sexual relations with about 10 monks, some of them elderly and revered, and receiving and extorting huge sums of money from them.
Police said they have considerable evidence, including videos of Ms Golf involved in sexual activities with monks found stored in her mobile phones.
Police said they intend to lay more charges against her.
Sika is a traditional Thai term used to refer to a woman who is associated with a monk.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
a few seconds ago
- Bangkok Post
Cambodia escalates border attacks with heavy weapons, cyber warfare: Thai military
Cambodia has intensified its attacks along the Thai border, deploying additional troops, launching artillery strikes, and using cyber tactics, according to a report from Thailand's Second Army Region. The military region, which oversees the northeastern provinces, released an update on the border situation from Sunday night through noon on Monday. It stated that Cambodia had used BM-21 multi-barrel rocket launchers to strike several locations, including Hill 677, Phu Phee, Pha Mor E-Daeng, Phra Wiharn and Phu Makhuea. Movements of PHL-03 rocket launchers were also observed at Samraong Airport in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which borders Thailand's Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket and Surin provinces. In response, Thai forces returned fire at strategic targets near the Chong Bok and Chong An Ma crossings, as well as around the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temple ruins. Heavy fighting broke out in areas around Chong An Ma, Phu Phee, and Phu Makhuea, leaving several Thai soldiers injured. Cambodian troops have taken firm control of the Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom temple ruins in Surin and continue to reinforce their positions there. Additional Cambodian forces were deployed, and in some instances, reports said they mistakenly fired on each other in the Chong An Ma and Pha Mor E-Daeng areas. The Second Army Region warned that intense clashes are expected to continue in the areas of Chong An Ma, Phu Makhuea, Phu Phee, Ta Kwai and Ta Muen Thom. During area surveys for troop positioning, Thai soldiers also discovered Cambodian landmines. In a further escalation, Cambodian hackers attempted to breach the computer systems of Thai government agencies, the report added. Meanwhile, 28 Cambodian rockets struck villages in Ban Kruat district of Buri Ram and Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, injuring two people and killing one. At 4.30pm on Sunday, Thailand repatriated the bodies of 12 Cambodian nationals who were killed in fighting at Phu Makhuea. The transfer was carried out on humanitarian grounds, the Second Army Region said.
Bangkok Post
4 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai military says Cambodia's chemical weapons claim part of 'daily lies'
The Thai military denies Cambodia's claim that Thailand used chemical weapons and says it is an example of the daily lies told by the Cambodian side. 'Thailand Denounces Cambodia's Daily Lies and Deceptive Tactics Aimed at Manufacturing Legitimacy,' the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters wrote on its Facebook page ahead of its written dismissal of Cambodia's chemical weapon use claim. The armed forces headquarters said that the allegation by Lt Gen Maly Socheata, spokeswoman of the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, was baseless. She accused Thailand of 'violating Cambodian sovereignty and employing chemical weapons during military operations,' the headquarters said. 'These claims are completely unfounded and constitute a serious distortion of facts,' it said. 'Thailand has never adopted a policy to develop, produce, possess, or use chemical weapons under any circumstances. We remain fully committed to our obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and strictly abide by the principles of international humanitarian law, with utmost regard for the safety of innocent civilians. "In contrast, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense of Cambodia has resorted to the strategic use of disinformation in an attempt to fabricate legitimacy in the eyes of the international community," the Thai armed forces headquarters wrote. "This conduct is not only irresponsible but also deceitful, manipulative, and detrimental to peace and stability in the region.'
Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai army hits building on Cambodia border used as artillery base
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) on Monday defended a strike on a building in Cambodia near the border in Surin province, saying the structure was used by Cambodian soldiers to fire long-range weapons into Thailand. The army said the building was deserted with no civilians inside as Cambodia used it as an artillery launch pad to fire heavy weapons onto Thai soil. The RTA was responding to a video clip that showed the building across the Thai border at the Chong Chom pass in Kap Choeng district in Surin province was hit by a Thai weapon. The structure was believed to be a casino with no civilians inside. The RTA has repeatedly blasted Cambodian soldiers for using non-military structures as human shields from armed attacks from Thailand.
