Pattaya —
An alleged transgender monk in Pattaya was defrocked after admitting to drug use and causing a disturbance at a local temple.
At 8:06 PM on September 18th, 2024, Pattaya police received a report about a monk who appeared to be hallucinating and behaving erratically at Wat Boonkanjanaram in the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi province. Authorities and The Pattaya News team immediately went to the scene.
There, officers found the monk, later identified as Phra Thianthawin Suraphatmethakul, in a delusional state. He spoke incoherently and repeatedly mentioned that he wanted to go to court and would only provide testimony there. He also reportedly admitted to being transgender and held up several crumpled sheets of paper, claiming they were “evidence” of some sort.
When police officers tried to question him and offer help, the monk reportedly admitted that he had used crystal meth earlier in the day, which he had obtained from an unidentified young temple boy with whom he had been romantically involved. Officers requested to conduct a drug test, but he insisted on only testifying in court. After several hours of negotiation, he was finally persuaded to go to the police station for a urine test.
The test results showed that Phra Thianthawin was positive for drugs. He was then escorted to the temple’s abbot to be formally defrocked before being taken into custody to face legal proceedings.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=–=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Want to advertise with us or inquire about promoting your business, event, charity, or sporting event? E-mail us at [email protected]