PATTAYA: Three Cambodian monks were forced to give up their saffron robes in Pattaya after locals complained that they had breached traditional Buddhist conduct.
Pattaya police and local municipality officials swooped in on the monks after locals reported spotting the three monks making their way down Walking Street, a popular nightlife area, and asking for food late at night.
Buddhist monks are traditionally only allowed to consume food between dawn and midday.
Police said they had visited the Wat Chaimongkol night market at about 4pm on Wednesday (March 19) and found one of the monks sitting there asking for food. He was carrying a certificate confirming his status as a monk.
The authorities then expanded their search to nearby areas, including Soi Bua Kaw, known for its nightclubs, and found the other two monks also begging for food. They too had identification certificates.
Further investigation revealed that all three had entered Thailand illegally as they did not have any travel documents. They were also found to have been staying in a makeshift shelter in a forest near Soi Nong Hin, instead of in a monastery.
The three monks were escorted to Tham Samakee Temple, where they were disrobed, as their actions were deemed damaging to the reputation of Buddhist monks.
Phrakhruphisan Jariyakon, chief of the Ecclesiastical Commune, who oversaw the disrobement, stated that their behaviour could tarnish public perception of monkhood.
The three monks will be handed over to Chonburi immigration police for deportation proceedings. - The Nation/ANN
