BANGKOK: A viral video of two boys dancing and touching a revered monk’s statue during Songkran sparked outrage on Thai social media and drew nearly 200 comments.
Thai social media users have reacted with outrage after a video clip surfaced showing two boys behaving disrespectfully towards a statue of a highly revered monk from the reigns of King Rama IV and V during Songkran celebrations in Pathum Thani on Monday (April 14).
The controversy erupted after a Facebook user, using the account name Nes Nes, posted a TikTok clip to the page "News for Rangsit Residents" on Monday.
The clip shows two boys, estimated to be around 11 or 12 years old, dancing near the statue of Luang Por To, formally known as Somdej Phra Phuttacharn To Promrangsi, at a Songkran celebration site near the Sapan Daeng Bridge in Khlong 1, Tambon Prachatipat, in Thanyaburi district.
In the video, one boy is seen dancing in front of the statue and rubbing white powder on its face, while the other dances on the platform where the statue — depicting the monk in a meditative posture — is placed. The second boy rubs the top of the statue’s head with his left hand while dancing, as if treating the monk casually like a peer.
The post sparked a flood of angry comments, with nearly 200 responses by Tuesday afternoon. Many users condemned the boys for showing disrespect to a monk held in high regard by many Thais.
Several commenters also criticised the boys' families for failing to instil proper values and manners.
Following the backlash, police were deployed to maintain order at the celebration site on Tuesday. However, the two boys were reportedly nowhere to be seen.
The statue of Luang Por To, along with those of four other revered monks, remained on display for Buddhists to perform traditional rituals such as pouring water or applying powder as acts of reverence. On Tuesday, no one was seen dancing near the statues.
Local residents expressed disappointment and sadness over the incident. Some said they recognised the boys as local children from the neighbourhood and were disheartened to see such a lack of respect for religious figures. - The Nation/ANN
