The show goes on for Thai media and monk circus

By Caleb Sanham
October 20, 2001

Bangkok - Thailand's revered monkhood has taken a bashing over the past few years. The confidence of many followers has been undermined by stories of monks amassing vast collections of cars, embezzling money and property, taking nightly jaunts to karaoke bars, or wearing the disguise of an army officer in order to pick up women.

In the latest development, one of the country's most well known monks has vanished from public view, fleeing with his valuables in a Mercedes after a television show exposed an alleged relationship he was having with a female disciple.

The Thai media have far-reaching powers to cover such events, and the freedom to comment on their implications. But this right was put under pressure recently when a bill came close to banning any criticism of the monkhood and threatened to punish offenders with up to 20 years imprisonment.

The latest monk to hit the headlines, Phra (monk) Issaramunee, included none other than Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra among his followers. A television show for Thailand's iTV channel reportedly obtained love letters written by Issaramunee in Thai and English to a women called Umaporn Uma, otherwise known as "Sika Nid". The program filmed Issaramunee's admission to having penned the billets-doux.

In Thailand, where Buddhism or "Buddha-Sasana" has been the state religion for more than 700 years, monks hold a revered place in society and it is considered a sin for a woman and a monk to touch, even inadvertently. The interest Issaramunee allegedly showed toward "Sika Nid", therefore, goes completely against the fundamentals of his religion.

Another member of the temple in Petchaburi where Issaramunee was abbot also alleged that the monk was obsessed with worldly possessions and owned such luxurious items as telescopes, infra-red binoculars, scuba diving gear and a whirlpool bath tub. He recently purchased a Mercedes after complaining that the seats were not supportive enough in the Japanese car that Thaksin had given him.

In a statement, the monk claims that the media framed him and his followers betrayed him, stating that they "pretended to be good to me and to serve me, but later deceived me and lied to me". His whereabouts remain a mystery, but he says that he is no longer a monk and that he cannot continue as a teacher for Thaksin.

Scandals of this kind have become increasingly frequent. Another abbot, Thammathorn Wanchai, who led a double life as an army officer and enjoyed sex, alcohol and fast cars, was likewise caught on camera. He was filmed driving his Mercedes from his temple, stopping to exchange his saffron robes for the uniform of an army colonel and then proceeding to a house where he spent the night with two women.

Mercedes seem to be the car of choice for these misbehaving monks. Phra Khru Viboon Pattanakit, an abbot of a temple in Bangkok, was chastened for amassing a collection of around 60 classic cars, many of them Mercedes Benzes.

Another Bangkok abbot, Phra Pativetviset, was banished after being caught on film wearing a wig, sunglasses and normal clothes, and carousing with women in a karaoke bar.

And by far one of the most acrimonious and damaging cases to both the monkhood and the Thai government in recent years is that of Phra Yantra, who fled Thailand for the United States in 1995 after being accused of sexual and financial misbehavior, as well as of defaming government officials and the Supreme Patriarch (head of the Buddhist church) of Thailand in a speech he gave at a temple in Bangkok.

The charismatic monk had a large following - mostly female - until the allegations against him began to unravel, and he was forced to disrobe by the church's disciplinary body. After a drawn-out court battle in the US, the court threw out a request for the extradition of Yantra to Thailand, saying that he faced "persecution" in Thailand rather than "prosecution" for criminal offenses. Yantra is believed to have donned his robes again and headed to a temple in California.

Such events have been headline news and hot topics of conversation and debate. But this public interest was recently threatened. A bill drafting government policy toward clerical bodies, the Sangha Bill, caused a storm when draft provisions allowed for anyone who criticized monks to face one to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 50,000 baht (US$1,190). This week, a House of Representatives version of the bill took the issue further, increasing imprisonment for those who slight the Supreme Patriarch from one year to 15 years, and stiffening the punishment for members of the press who cause damage to the clergy through their reports.

The bill would have placed monks in a position akin to that of Thailand's royal family, who are protected by lese majeste laws and are unquestionably above any kind of criticism.

With public pressure mounting, however, the harsher penalties were finally dropped and the media's right to criticize clerical bodies was ensured. But some penalties remain. Under the bill, anyone who slights or defames the Supreme Patriarch will face a three to 10-year prison sentence, while those who distort the Phra Dharma Winai (Buddhist discipline), will spend 10-20 years behind bars.

Thai media, with a passion for the sensational, breathed a sigh of relief. They can now check their hidden cameras and return to their planned entrapments, dragging those who step beyond the boundaries of their religion into the spotlight. But, as is often asked with regard to the media, is this really for the public's benefit, or is it just a case of garnering readers or ratings?

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