PHUKET: Rihanna, the Kardashians . . . Phuket attracts them all eventually. Caught taking in the scenic delights of a sunset at Cape Promthep yesterday was Yantra, the former monk who recently returned to Thailand after an absence of 20 years.
An Editorial in The Nation put it like this: ''Few embody such a gross misinterpretation of Buddhism as that weird-looking guy . . . The former phra Yantra Ammarobhiku radiates none of that aura that the popular monk whose sexual scandals rocked Thailand's ecclesiastic circles some two decades ago had.
''Press and social media photos show him dressed in strange clothing that some may call robes, and sporting a long beard that obscures much of his face.''
We assume he did not come to Phuket as a sex tourist, although according to The Nation: ''When the news broke that he was a womaniser disguised in saffron robes, most people were incredulous and the media had to take extra care in their reporting due to his enormous religious and social status.
''There were women he allegedly had carnal relations with. There was a girl he allegedly fathered. There were pictures of him doing many 'blasphemous' things.
''In the end, he was forced out of the monkhood. When he fled Thailand, he left an indelible scar on many people's religious minds. On the bright side, his case emboldened the media and detractors of celebrated monks, and more high-profile exposures followed.
''Without Yantra, it would have probably taken much longer for Thailand to realise how many wayward monks were hiding behind their solemn semblances and stirring sermons.''
In 1994, he was accused of a number of charges including defaming the Supreme Patriarch, a criminal charge under the Sangha Act, and having sex, a violation of monkhood, with his nocturnal visits being captured on video. The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand found him guilty of conduct unbecoming a monk and expelled him.
Yantra later allegedly obtained a forged passport and fled to the US, where he was granted asylum. Now that the case against him has expired, he has returned home to Nakhon Si Thammarat's Pak Phanang district, where he retains about 10 followers.
No doubt, like many others, he found perfect peace in a Phuket sunset.
An Editorial in The Nation put it like this: ''Few embody such a gross misinterpretation of Buddhism as that weird-looking guy . . . The former phra Yantra Ammarobhiku radiates none of that aura that the popular monk whose sexual scandals rocked Thailand's ecclesiastic circles some two decades ago had.
''Press and social media photos show him dressed in strange clothing that some may call robes, and sporting a long beard that obscures much of his face.''
We assume he did not come to Phuket as a sex tourist, although according to The Nation: ''When the news broke that he was a womaniser disguised in saffron robes, most people were incredulous and the media had to take extra care in their reporting due to his enormous religious and social status.
''There were women he allegedly had carnal relations with. There was a girl he allegedly fathered. There were pictures of him doing many 'blasphemous' things.
''In the end, he was forced out of the monkhood. When he fled Thailand, he left an indelible scar on many people's religious minds. On the bright side, his case emboldened the media and detractors of celebrated monks, and more high-profile exposures followed.
''Without Yantra, it would have probably taken much longer for Thailand to realise how many wayward monks were hiding behind their solemn semblances and stirring sermons.''
In 1994, he was accused of a number of charges including defaming the Supreme Patriarch, a criminal charge under the Sangha Act, and having sex, a violation of monkhood, with his nocturnal visits being captured on video. The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand found him guilty of conduct unbecoming a monk and expelled him.
Yantra later allegedly obtained a forged passport and fled to the US, where he was granted asylum. Now that the case against him has expired, he has returned home to Nakhon Si Thammarat's Pak Phanang district, where he retains about 10 followers.
No doubt, like many others, he found perfect peace in a Phuket sunset.
forged passports again, Thailand been leading the scene for many years
Posted by Michael on April 28, 2014 11:14