Spot Were Buddhist Monk Had Sex in Car Become Local Attraction

The spot where a monk has sexual relations with a woman in her car has now turned into a local attraction in southern Thailand. The now-disgraced monk was outed by a local TV program.

The disgraced acting Buddhist monk who left the monkhood over a sex scandal and borrowed 600,000 baht (US$17,400) from the temple has returned the money amid allegations that he had used it to pay off a news reporter and a woman to keep his affair quiet.

Pongsakorn Chankaeo, formerly known as Phra Kato, was Wat Pen Yat’s acting abbot in southern Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province. On Wednesday evening, he returned the money he borrowed from his former temple at Wat Mangkhalaram in the Phiphun district.

The handover of the money was witnessed by Phra Khru Atthatham Kowit, the ecclesiastical chief of the Chawang district. In a statement, he said it would be deposited into Wat Pen Yat’s account on Thursday.

A director at Wat Pen Yat, Wasanti Jongruay, revealed that the former acting abbot had borrowed money from the temple. However, he didn’t know what he intended to do with it.

Last Saturday, Pongsakorn left his monkhood after a recording of a conversation about a secret sexual relationship between a woman and a monk leaked.

It has been reported that the monk had sex with the woman several times in a car on the crest of the Kathoon dam in the Phiphun district. A local attraction has since developed around the site where they had sexual relations in the car.

Buddhist monk admitted to the affair.

During a phone-in interview with a TV program host, Mr. Pongsakorn admitted to his misconduct over the past three months. He gave about 300,000 baht to the 37-year-old woman to end their controversial relationship after she repeatedly demanded money.

Moreover, he reportedly paid a news media reporter 300,000 baht (US$8,700) to keep quiet about the affair.

Pongsakorn entered the monastic life in 2017 and gained a following through his entertaining way of teaching Buddhism on Facebook and Youtube.

Since the affair of the Buddhist monk became public, police have become involved and are digging deeper into the case.

Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaeo, the head of the anti-corruption unit of the police, said Thursday that his unit would investigate whether the money issue was in violation of any laws.

He also said charges could be filed against the woman and reporter for alleged extortion of the former monk.