Activist monk seeks Buddhism overhaul in Thailand over corruption fears

Phra Buddha Issara reacts during an interview with Reuters at Wat Or Noi in Nakhon Pathom February 27, 2015. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand (Reuters) - Phra Buddha Issara is a monk with a mission. From his Buddhist temple near Bangkok he is calling for a radical overhaul of Thai Buddhism, fearing millions of dollars in temple donations and a rapidly modernizing nation are corrupting monks.

Surrounded by verdant green rice fields at Wat Or Noi temple, Issara said he wants better oversight of temple finances and to shake up the fossilized structure of Thai Buddhism.