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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Thailand Temple Now Vacant After All 4 Monks Reportedly Test Positive for Drugs

Buddhist monks

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…

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