Abbot's dramatic fall from grace
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Abbot's dramatic fall from grace

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Phra Alongkot, abbot of Wat Phrabat Namphu in Lop Buri, is arrested and brought by police to hear charges of financial fraud and money laundering. Once praised for turning the temple into a hospice for terminally ill HIV/Aids patients, he has now fallen into disgrace. (Photo: Royal Thai Police)
Phra Alongkot, abbot of Wat Phrabat Namphu in Lop Buri, is arrested and brought by police to hear charges of financial fraud and money laundering. Once praised for turning the temple into a hospice for terminally ill HIV/Aids patients, he has now fallen into disgrace. (Photo: Royal Thai Police)

Faith built his empire. Fraud destroyed it. Luang Por Alongkot's fall from grace leaves Thai Buddhism reeling, demanding long-overdue reform.

.sraey 03 tsap eht fo knom ralupop tsom eht yb tsurt cilbup fo layarteb tsetaerg eht ,duarf elpmet tsegral s'yrtnuoc eht si sihT .htlaew neddih ro ssertsim a htiw thguac tobba rehtona toN .ladnacs knom rehtona tsuj ton saw sihT

.tnorferof eht ot noitanosrepmi dna tfeht ytitnedi fo seussi eht thguorb sah tub ,msihdduB iahT ni htiaf fo sisirc a delaever ylno ton sah iruB poL ni uhpmaN tabarhP taW fo tobba remrof eht fo llaf ehT

.stneitap sdiA/VIH lli yllanimret rof ecipsoh a otni elpmet eht gninrut rof desiarp neeb dah eh ,dedlofnu stneve eseht erofeB .mih tsniaga esac eht no sucof ot doohknom eht tfel won sah eH .gnirednual yenom dna tnemelzzebme htiw degrahc dna keew tsal detserra erew sedia sih dna knom ehT

.ecnetnes htaed a dna amgits htob deirrac sdiA nehw s0991 eht ni dednuof eh ecipsoh eht ,uhpmaN tabarhP taW htiw suomynonys saw eman siH .ediwnoitan stneitap sdiA rof sexob noitanod no sraeppa ecaf siH .eman sih wonk siahT tsoM

.tnias a was elpoeP .sisirc ni ecipsoh eht deralced eh revenehw stneve gnivig-smla ni snoitanod thguos ylsselerit eh ,riahcleehw a nI .noissapmoc fo ecaf eht mih edam gniyd eht ediseb sotohp sih dna elims tneserp-reve dna eciov tfos ,ruonaemed eltneg siH

.dekcarc sah olah eht ,yllaniF

.flesmih tnevnier ot ytitnedi s'nam rehtona gnilaets rof osla tub eripme laicnanif a otni snoitanod gninohpis rof ylno ton ,duarf a eb ot tuo denrut gniyd dna kcis eht fo ruoivas ehT

edacaf eht ni skcarC

.namow emas eht htiw ladnacs xes a ni desopxe erew sknom roines 31 ,retfa nooS .tcudnocsim lauxes dna tnemelzzebme rof deborsid saw gnihK iaR taW suomaf eht fo tobba eht ,oga shtnom tsuJ .ladnacs yb derettab neeb gnol sah msihdduB iahT

?ni eveileb ot tfel si ohw ,htiaf yarteb dluoc eh neve fI .tcepser cilbup ediw hcus dednammoc sraey 03 tsap eht ni knom rehto oN .gnidnats euqinu sih fo esuaceb repeed stuc tI .ladnacs tokgnolA arhP eht htiw nosirapmoc ni selap sihT

.snoitseuq fo tegrat eht emaceb knom eht ,ylnedduS .repeed gud sretropeR .elpmet eht rof sdnuf gnisiar neeb dah ohw "eeB roM" lukasbeuspaS naskeS muidem tirips a htiw tuo llef tokgnolA .duef laicnanif a htiw nageb llafnwod ehT

?eripme noitcurtsnoc a otni denoollab stneitap 521 rof ecipsoh a sah yhW ?sresiardnuf htiw yenom noitanod tilps eh seoD ?desu yllaer snoitanod era woH

?sloot gnikam-yenom sih tsuj yeht erA ?stneitap sdiA fo egami cifirroh eht gniwohs llits eh si yhw ,tnemnrevog eht morf sgurd larivorteritna eerf htiW ?hsart ekil denodnaba tnempiuqe dna enicidem detanod fo sniatnuom era yhW

.tnemeganamsim ssorg dna htlaew tnatibroxe s'elpmet eht delaever snoitagitsevni aidem ,elihwnaeM .senicidem gnivas-efil stneitap evag ohw sreetnulov tsniaga staerht htaed sa hcus seirots dlo htiw gnola ,decafrus snoitseuq esehT

.sdnah sih hguorht dessap snoitanod ni thab noillib 01 ot pu etamitse eciloP .serutnev ssenisub lareves dna soiloftrop kcots ,pihsrenwo ykrum htiw ymedaca strops nredom a ,seman 'setaicossa rednu dnal fo iar 000,2 revo :sgnidloh tsav sah elpmet ehT

.cilbup eht deppirg taht tsiwt eht emac nehT .stiarts erid s'ecipsoh elpmet eht tuoba feileb cilbup dna egami yloh sih nevig ,gnikcohs s'tahT

ytitnedi eslaF

?yllaer ,knom siht saw ohW

.snoitanod eviecer ot tokgnolA daed eht fo rebmun DI eht desu osla tobba remrof ehT .oga sraey wef a deid ohw laiciffo noitagirri na ,kumaloP tokgnolA :nam rehtona ot degnoleb noitanidro sih rof desu eh drac DI eht derevocsid lennahC 3 VT morf maet swen itiM maS ehT

.seil fo seires a sa ti desopxe dna ,emit a ta daerht eno ,efil sih gnikcipnu nageb sretropeR

.noitanidro sih erofeb tnemtrapeD noitagirrI eht ta krow dna ,ailartsuA morf gnireenigne ni s'retsam a ,ytisrevinU trastesaK morf eerged gnireenigne na ,loohcS nirispehT reit-pot eht morf etaudarg loohcs hgih a :tsap suoirtsulli na demialc dah eH

.eceip yb eceip delbmurc yhpargoib siH .mih fo drocer a dah enoN

?nam siht saw ohW

.emmargorp eht hsinif ton did eh esuaceb etacifitrec a teg ton did tub kolunastihP ni egelloc lacinhcet a ot tnew eh ,neaK nohK ni loohcs hgih yradnoces ot gniog retfA .0691 ni nrob ,neaK nohK morf weaktehP iakgnairK saw eH .degreme hturt eht ,yllaniF

.tniop taht ta deppots weaktehP iarkgnairK fo sdrocer laiciffO .0891 ni deraeppasid ylsuoiretsym eh ,emit taht ta rats llabtoof gnisir a hguohtlA

."elpoep eht fo egufer erup a" gninaem ,tanahcarpihtusiwahctaR arhP fo knar cirelc ytfol eht gnidulcni ,seltit dna seerged yraronoh ,sdrawa gninniw ,emaf lanoitan ot esor eh ,ecipsoh sih htiW .oynapakkiT tokgnolA arhP eman lacirelc eht gnikat ,ytitnedi nelots sih rednu deniadro saw eh ,6891 nI

.deyarteb ylbuod tlef lufhtiaf eht ,ytitnedi eslaf sih tuoba ekorb swen eht retfA

.fles laer sih edih ot did eh tahw wonk ot tnaw osla yehT

htym eht srettahs tserrA

.nosirp ot tnes dna liab deined ,gnirednual yenom dna tnemelzzebme htiw degrahc ,deborsid saw eH .eelf ot deirt dah eh detcepsus ecilop nehw thgin eht fo elddim eht ni elpmet eht ta detserra saw eH .kcurts ecilop ,62 guA nO

.tserra deraef dna noitpircsnoc delf dah eh esuaceb ytitnedi s'dneirf sih elots eh gnimialc ,weaktehP iarkgnairK deedni saw eh dettimda eh ,ecnedive eht htiw detnorfnoC

.noitpeced hcus snialpxe enola noitpircsnoc eveileb weF .noitanidro kees ot gninruter erofeb aisyalaM ot delf dah eh demialc eH

.srab dniheb sraey secaf eh ,detcivnoc fI .lairt no mih tup ot ecnedive hguone evah yeht yas seitirohtuA .snoitanod elpmet fo tnemeganamsim ssorg si eussi eroc eht tub ,yas yeht ,nemow tuoba lriws sruomuR .ecnedive drah ot gnikcits era yeht yas ,revewoh ,eciloP

.VIH htiw gnivil ynam ,ffats gnitcetorp dna ,ymedaca strops dna loohcs elpmet eht ta stneduts gnitroppus ,ecipsoh eht ta sdiA dna VIH htiw elpoep eht rof gnirac htiw stser won egnellahc etaidemmi ehT

thgisrevo ,ygrelc kaeW

.evirht ot mih dewolla taht metsys eht si ti ;enola knom remrof eht ton si noitpurroc elpmet uhpmaN tabarhP taW fo melborp repeed ehT

.desaelp eh sa ti eganam dluoc eh os ,renwo elos sti sa flesmih was uhpmaN tabarhP taW fo tobba remrof eht ,selpmet rehto ekiL .thgisrevo tnednepedni on si erehT .stessa elpmet revo lortnoc etulosba yojne stobba ,tcA ahgnaS eht rednU

.hsac fo sniatnuom no tis ylenituor sknom teY .yenom gnildnah morf sknom sdibrof tcudnoc fo edoc citsanom ehT

.pihsrotnem reporp gnivig tuohtiw seef rof noitanidro mrofrep srotpecerp ,woN .gniniart fo sraey evif rof secivon eraperp ot tnaem era snoitanidrO

.rewop dna htlaew rieht snetaerht ti esuaceb metsys eht mrofer ot esufer neht seitirohtua lacirelC .deerg dna ,egitserp ,oge deef taht sknar dna yhcrareih laduef ot sgnilc ygrelc eht tub ,tnemhcatta-non sehcaet msihdduB

.sedaced rof hsiruolf dluoc noitpeced s'tokgnolA arhP remrof eht yhw s'tI .noitpurroc dna tcudnocsim sdeerb taht erutcurts tnerapsnart-non ,citarcotua siht dleihs yehT

yticilpmoc cilbuP

.niag uoy erom eht ,evig uoy erom ehT .nevaeh ot kcart tsaf a dna tirem snrae selpmet dna sknom ot yenom gnivig taht thguat osla era yehT .snoitseuq gnitneverp ,sebor norffas eht tcepser ot detanirtcodni era stsihdduB iahT .emalb eht serahs ,oot ,yteicoS

.elpmet eht ni stcejorp hsival eht dna elbaliava ydaerla senicidem eerf ,gnisiardnuf sseldne eht gnirongi ,evag elpoep dnA ".eid lliw kcis eht ro ,eviG" :koobyalp siht detcefrep uhpmaN tabarhP taW

.tliug morf meht seerf osla mih gnipleH .yteicos yb denodnaba elpoep rof derac enoemos tsael ta taht detrofmoc tlef lufhtiaf ehT .yab ta snoitseuq tpek knom yltnias a fo egami derutrun ylluferac eht dna seltit ,emaf ,amsirahC .noitca ekat ot deliaf seitirohtua tub ,detalucric elpmet eht morf seirots kraD

.erongi ot gib oot werg duarf eht litnu ,efas mih tpek raef dna htiaF .staerht yldaed ecaf egami sih erutcnup ot erad ohw esoht ,elihwnaeM

.dne reven lliw sladnacs eht ,yniturcs tuohtiw sehcir ssama nac sknom sa gnol sA .snoitanod elbatnuoccanu dna htlaew dekcehcnu :emas eht era sesuac eht ,llams ro gib tuB .tey tseggib eht eb yam ladnacs tokgnolA ehT

.ecalp rednik a dlrow eht gnikam dna gnireffus gnisae ,srehto gnipleh si tI .efilretfa eht ni ecalp a gniyub ton si tireM .nevaeh ot tekcit ruo ton era sknoM

.laeh ot nigeb nac dnaliahT ni msihdduB ,siht ees lufhtiaf eht nehW

Sanitsuda Ekachai

Former editorial pages editor

Sanitsuda Ekachai is a former editorial pages editor. She writes on human rights, gender, and Thai Buddhism.

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