Wang Nam Khiao officials tested urine samples of monks at a well-known temple and found two monks tested positive for drugs, including the abbot who has since left the monkhood. A search of the abbot's quarters uncovered a large pile of trash, trays of beer, and several women's underwear.
On 18 June 2026, Wang Nam Khiao district officials in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, accompanied by the district and subdistrict monastic authorities, inspected the quarters of the former abbot of Wat Pa Samakkhi Charoen Tham, located at the end of Wang Nam Khiao Village No. 9, Udomsap Subdistrict. They found the area filled with trash, leftover food bowls with rotting waste, some crawling with maggots. Additionally, dozens of liquor bottles and dozens of beer cans in multiple packs were discovered. Importantly, a large quantity of drug paraphernalia was found, along with multiple women's undergarments sealed in plastic bags amid the trash. The team then helped clean the area in preparation for the appointment of a new abbot to replace the former.
On Wednesday, 17 June 2026, at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Therdthai Saengphon, the Wang Nam Khiao district chief, ordered the district officials, led by Mr. Sutthisak Jaidee, security district officer, to coordinate with Udomsap Police Station officers, led by Police Lieutenant Somsak Yentaku, deputy crime prevention inspector, to conduct operations under an integrated drug prevention and resolution policy. This is part of the “Unity of Faith to Tackle Drugs Quickly” project in Nakhon Ratchasima Province and the province’s development agenda “1+11 Agenda Korat,” under the White Temple project in Udomsap Subdistrict, Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
During the operation, officials found individuals involved in drug-related activities within the temple, including two monks—one being the abbot—and one temple disciple. They conducted drug tests on all three, which returned positive results. They also seized one methamphetamine pill as evidence. Following this, officials searched the abbot’s quarters and discovered the described conditions.
Initially, all three individuals voluntarily entered treatment at Wang Nam Khiao Hospital. Both monks have officially left the monkhood. Officials proceeded in accordance with relevant regulations, laws, and procedures. The situation surprised local residents, most of whom did not expect the respected abbot to exhibit such behavior, especially since the temple grounds are well maintained and clean, contrasting sharply with the state of the abbot’s quarters.
