The recent downfall of a well-known monk has again exposed a darker reality beneath the serene surface of Thai Buddhism: monks' sexual misconduct and the theft of temple funds.
Last week, a renowned meditation master and abbot of Wat Pah Dhammakhiri, a forest monastery in Nakhon Ratchasima, shocked the devotees by vanishing from view, but the mystery was quickly solved.
Former Phra Vajirayankosol, popularly known as Phra Ajarn Khom Apiwaro, and former abbot Phra Maha Wuthima Thaomor were disrobed for allegedly stealing at least 180 million baht of temple money and for having sexual relations.
According to a press conference held by the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) and the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), the two former monks were defrocked and stripped of their titles.
Now, as laymen, Khom Khonggaew, 39, and Wuthima Thaomor, 38, are under arrest. The police found 130 million baht of temple money in Mr Khom's bank account and 51 million baht in cash at the house of Mr Khom's sister, Jutatip Pubodeewachorupan, who is also under arrest.
If not enough, the investigation revealed another 80 million baht in cash and 19 million baht worth of gold buried behind the temple, according to the CSD.
Former Phra Ajarn Khom gained fame in 2021 for providing sermons and meditation sessions to Thai elites, including high-ranking military officers, millionaires, and politicians.
The Vinaya, the monastic codes of conduct set by the Buddha, consider theft and sexual relations as cardinal sins for monks. However, a lack of oversight in the clergy has led to rampant scandals involving sex and money.
Although praised for its swift actions in this scandal, the NOB cannot escape the blame for allowing careless and opaque handling of temple donations without external and professional financial auditing.
Temples must submit annual financial reports to the NOB to ensure transparency. Most temples fail to do so, and the NOB has taken no action, enabling temples to behave as they wish.
Meanwhile, monks' sexual misconduct stems from a weak clergy that fails to provide the necessary training in spiritual practice and monastic discipline. The Sangha law, giving abbots arbitrary power over donations, assets, and monks, also encourages power abuse and corruption.
If found guilty, the punishment of the two former monks will not address the issues that create rogue monks. Structural problems require structural solutions.
First and foremost, the NOB must establish an independent check and balance system to ensure transparent temple finances. External financial audits from professionals and monitoring from local communities and civic groups are necessary to prevent embezzlement.
Importantly, clergy governance must be modernised and democratised.
Reform proposals include amending the Sangha law to make temples answerable to communities, not to abbots, and allowing capable young monks to run the clergy instead of frail monks in their 80s and 90s.
By addressing these structural issues and implementing meaningful reforms, the clergy can rebuild trust and uphold Buddhist principles.
Without cleric reform, public faith in the clergy will continue to decline. And the closed feudal clergy will have only itself to blame.
