Thai temple left without monks after they all test positive for meth
A Buddhist temple in Thailand’s Phetchabun province is now devoid of monks after every single one of them failed a drug test.
Testing at the temple in Bung Sam Phan district took place on Monday. All four of the holy site’s monks — including the abbot — tested positive for methamphetamine.
As a result, the men were stripped of their monkhoods and sent to a health clinic to begin drug rehabilitation, district official Boonlert Thintapthai told the AFP news agency.
The scandal naturally caused concern for local community members who depended on the monks for religious functions, according to the Bangkok Post. About 10 dogs and cats also live in the temple and now need attention.
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The district’s monastic chief has reportedly promised to send more monks to the temple. It was not immediately clear how many will be deployed and when.
The raid was a result of Thailand’s larger crackdown on illegal drugs. According to the United Nations, the country serves as a major transit point for methamphetamine coming from Myanmar’s Shan state through Laos.
In October, a police officer who had been dismissed from the force for methamphetamine possession shot at least 36 children and teachers dead at a nursery. The news made international headlines and received condemnation from the global community.
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