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Monks behaving badly: the sex scandal rocking Thailand’s Buddhist clergy (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by babysandpiper@sopuli.xyz to c/world@lemmy.world

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Stories of monks behaving badly are not uncommon in Thailand, but the scale of a recent scandal has sparked questions about wealth and privilege

The disappearance of a respected monk from his Buddhist temple in central Bangkok has revealed a sex scandal that has rocked Thailand, with allegations of blackmail, lavish gifts and a string of dismissals raising questions about the money and power enjoyed by the country’s orange-robed clergy.

Investigations into the whereabouts of senior monk Phra Thep Wachirapamok unexpectedly led police to a woman who the police suspect conducted intimate relationships with several senior monks, and then blackmailed them to keep the liaisons quiet.

When police searched her home this month they found mobile phones that reportedly contained tens of thousands of compromising photos and videos of the missing monk, and several other senior Buddhist figures. Police also tracked her finances, which they said showed links to temples.

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[–] Fondots@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

This is secondhand, half-remembered information I picked up from some stranger on Reddit probably a decade ago, so take it for what it's worth

But my understanding is that in some parts of Asia, being a monk is just sort of a thing that some young people do for a short time, and a lot of them aren't really what we'd think of as "clergy." Not sure if that's the case in Thailand or not.

It's almost more like taking a gap year to go backpacking through Europe or whatever the kids are into these days, or taking a summer job that just happens to be in a Buddhist temple and the uniform is a robe and shaved head instead of a polo shirt and khakis.

Now these seem to be involving "senior monks" so probably not just teens and 20-somethings trying to find themselves.

But I kind of have to wonder how many of those senior monks are more like that friend you had in high school who took a summer job working at a surf shop or something and just never went back to finish college and are still working there a decade or two later than they are someone who truly felt a calling towards religious service.