CHIANG RAI – A respected monk has left the Buddhist order by his own choice halfway through the Buddhist Lent following the release of a controversial video. The 72-year-old monk, holding the title of Phra Kru, was the focus of a clip shared widely online showing conduct considered inappropriate for someone in his position.
On August 16, local monk leaders in Chiang Rai’s main district organized a formal ceremony for the monk to step down and return to lay life. Family members, including younger relatives, took part in the event and offered support. After the ceremony at Wat Sri Boon Ruang, he quietly left the temple dressed in white clothes, marking his return to secular life.
The incident gained public attention after the clip started spreading on social media. By August 13, local Buddhist officials, led by Chotkrai Jaeman, the director of the Chiang Rai Office of Buddhism, had begun an investigation. They met with those involved and gathered facts before reporting to the region’s monastic board.
By August 15, a group of senior monks from Chiang Rai, including the city’s chief monk and sub-district chiefs, held a meeting to review the findings. They agreed the monk’s actions had damaged the image of the monastic community.
During questioning, the senior monk accepted responsibility and asked to leave the order voluntarily. The process was concluded without conflict, and the former monk will now resume life as a layman outside the temple.
In Thailand, defrocking means officially removing a Buddhist monk from his monastic role and stripping away the right to carry out religious duties.
This step, often known as “laicization” in other faiths, usually happens when a monk breaks important monastic rules (Vinaya), commits a crime, or acts in ways that damage the reputation of the Buddhist Sangha.
Because Buddhism shapes so much of Thai culture, defrocking carries a lot of weight and tends to draw public attention. Monks who are caught committing crimes like drug offences, theft, fraud, or sexual abuse are often defrocked without delay.
These incidents can shake people’s trust in the Sangha, since monks are expected to follow strict moral standards. When news spreads about monks getting defrocked for reasons like drug use or scams, it sparks conversations about Buddhism’s role and future in Thailand.
