Getty Monks praying
All four monks at a small Buddhist temple in northern Thailand were defrocked after reportedly failing drug tests.
The monks, which included an abbot, allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine on Monday, a local official told international news agency Agence France-Presse.
As a result, the temple — located in Bueng Sam Phan, a district located in Phetchabun province — is temporarily vacant.
“The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making,” district official Boonlert Thintapthai told AFP, referring to a practice that involves donating food to monks as a good deed.
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All of the monks have since been sent to a health clinic for drug rehabilitation, Thintapthai told the news agency.
Additionally, the…