A monk at a well-known temple in Ratchaburi slapped the acting abbot, causing injury, after being excluded from invitation duties. The temple has asked authorities to assist in conducting urine tests on all monks.
On 22 Sep 2026 GMT+7, reports stated that on 21 Sep, reporters received a complaint from relatives of monks at a temple in Photharam District, Ratchaburi. They said a temple monk verbally abused and slapped the acting abbot, injuring him in front of devotees making merit. The conflict arose from a misunderstanding that the acting abbot had ordered the removal of invitation duties. CCTV footage from the incident was provided as evidence due to concerns about safety despite a police report having been filed.
After receiving the complaint, reporters visited the temple and found Phra Prasong, appointed as the acting abbot, injured and resting in his quarters.
Phra Prasong recounted that on 20 Sep 2026, villagers held a 100-day merit-making ceremony for a deceased relative at the temple, inviting nine monks to chant. However, the monk responsible for organizing the invitations excluded Phra On, the monk who later caused the incident, because Phra On had repeatedly caused problems by failing to attend invitation duties without notice, resulting in incomplete attendance as requested by the sponsors.
Some sponsors were dissatisfied when the number of monks attending did not match the nine invited; for instance, only eight monks showed because Phra On refused to attend and did not inform anyone, leaving no time to find replacements. Phra On also routinely refused to participate in other monastic activities with fellow monks. As a result, he was excluded from invitation duties, which angered him. He confronted and verbally abused others with offensive language in front of merit-making devotees. Another temple monk tried to intervene, but Phra On refused to stop and threw a plastic chair to the ground.
Phra On then rushed forward and slapped the left side of the acting abbot’s face, causing injury. Devotees intervened to stop the altercation. The abbot sought medical treatment after feeling facial pain; the doctor found bleeding in his eardrum, causing hearing loss. He has since filed a police report at Photharam Police Station out of concern for his safety, as Phra On remains at the temple and the cause of the injury is unclear.
The incident has been reported to the subdistrict and district monks’ authorities, but no action has been taken. Phra On’s disruptive behavior has persisted, including walking around and ringing the temple bell late at night. Authorities have been asked multiple times to conduct urine tests on all monks to identify any under the influence of drugs and take disciplinary measures, aiming to maintain the temple’s integrity. However, no such inspections have occurred. Following this incident, the temple urges that urine tests be conducted on all monks.