PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya municipal officers have detained two men posing as Buddhist monks after discovering irregularities while they were soliciting donations during morning alms rounds in the Buakhao Soi 15 area, Feb 8.
City enforcement officers conducted checks after spotting the pair collecting money from the public. An inspection of their monk identification documents revealed suspicious inconsistencies. Officers then contacted the claimed affiliated temple by phone, which confirmed that the two individuals were not legitimate monks.
Following the verification, the men were taken to Wat Chaimongkol, where the abbot formally carried out the disrobing procedure in accordance with religious protocol. The individuals were subsequently sent back to their home provinces.
Pattaya officials said the action was taken to protect the public from deception and to prevent the misuse of religious faith for personal gain. Authorities urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant and to report suspicious behavior involving individuals falsely claiming religious status.
