Rogue monk's robe-raising stunt raises eyebrows
Abbot exposes himself after being accused of sexual misconduct
July 02, 2008

FACED with the inevitability of being defrocked for improper sexual conduct, one abbot in Thailand's Tha Bor District in Nong Khai decided to beat his detractors to the punch.

After being caught having an affair with a local devotee, the 35-year-old Buddhist monk stood before a meeting of villagers and local religious authorities to discuss allegations of sexual impropriety against him.

But instead of being contrite, he showed his contempt by lifting up his robe and giving those assembled a good look at the organ that had got him into trouble in the first place, reported The Phuket Gazette.

The abbot, Wanchai Mahapanyo, who belongs to a temple in a small village in northeastern Thailand, was accused of having had improper sexual relations with married devotee Lampang Khambai, 44.

Her husband of almost 20 years, 43-year-old Wichai Khambai, told the Thai police that his wife started spending an unusual amount of time with the abbot when he went to work on a construction site in Bangkok. Upon his return, friends and relatives told him that his wife spent nearly all her time in the monk's room.

Her night-time outings didn't stop even after her husband's return.

On 29 May, she went to the temple in the evening and failed to return. Suspicious, her husband gathered a group of friends and relatives and staked out the abbot's room.

PUSHED AND PUNCHED
They confronted him when he emerged at dawn, demanding to know where Ms Lampang was. The monk denied having seen her and allegedly pushed Mr Wichai out of the way and punched him in the face.

Moments later, Ms Lampang strolled out of the monk's room as if nothing was amiss.

Word spread quickly and the community chief rushed to the scene and arranged for all the parties to meet at Ms Lampang's mother's house to settle the matter.

At the meeting, the villagers called for the abbot to be defrocked on the spot.

At this point, the abbot suddenly stood up and lifted his robes, shocking his accusers.

Many villagers whipped out handphones to shoot photos and videos of the lurid sight. When the monk saw this, he fled.

Mr Wichai filed a complaint with the police accusing the abbot of assault.

Later that afternoon, the monk turned himself in to the police and admitted to punching Mr Wichai in the face. He was fined 1,000 baht ($40) and released.

The following day, photos of the monk appeared on the front page of Thai top-selling newspaper Thai Rath - with the offending organ blurred out, of course.

Many villagers whipped out handphones to shoot photos and videos of the lurid sight. When the monk saw this, he fled