Four Buddhist monks, including an abbot, left a Thai temple monkless Monday after they all tested positive for methamphetamine.
The monks relocated from the temple located in the Bung Sma Phan district in the Phetchabun province of Thailand to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation, district official Boonler Thintapthai told Agence-France Presse (AFP).
“The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making,” he said, alluding to the practice of donating food to monks in order to progress toward enlightenment. More monks will be allocated to the temple to assist Buddhist locals in fulfilling their religious obligations, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson: There Is ‘Tolerance For Pedophilia’ Among Society’s Most Powerful)
Thai Buddhist temple emptied after all the monks test positive for meth https://t.co/awMi9DMITd pic.twitter.com/qPZBPFZi9l
— New York Post (@nypost) November 29, 2022
The police allegedly discovered religious leaders’ misdoings after they swarmed the temple and made each monk take a urine test in an attempt to clamp down on drugs in the province, the New York Post reported. It remains unclear if the temple contained a hidden drug stash, according to the outlet
The men were excommunicated from monkhood because of their positive tests, the outlet reported.
Thailand is a prominent drug stop for methamphetamine suppliers flooding in from Burma via Laos, according to the outlet.