Thai monks fail drug tests leaving temple empty

A small Buddhist temple in Thailand has been left without any monks after they were all dismissed for failing drug tests, local officials have said.
Four monks, including the abbot, tested positive for methamphetamine in the northern province of Phetchabun, an official told news agency AFP.
Boonlert Thintapthai said the monks were subsequently sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.
The raid comes amid a national campaign to tackle drug trafficking.
The monks were reportedly removed from the temple after police administered urine tests on Monday, which saw all four men fail. Officials did not say what had brought the temple to the attention of police.
Mr Thintapthai told AFP that the "temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making".
Merit-making is an important Buddhist practice where worshippers gain a protective force through good deeds - in this case by giving food to monks.
But Mr Thintapthai said that regional officials had sought the assistance of the local monastic chief, who had promised to assign some new monks to the temple in the Bung Sam Phan district in a bid to address the concerns of worshippers.
In recent years, methamphetamine has become a major issue in Thailand, with seizures of the drug reaching an all time high in 2021, according to the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime.
The country is a major transit point for methamphetamine. The drugs flood into the country from Myanmar - the world's biggest producer of methamphetamine - via Laos.
The pills are then sold on the streets with a value of around 50 Baht ($1.40; £1.17).
Last month, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered a clampdown on drugs after a former police officer who had been dismissed from the force for methamphetamine possession killed 37 people during a shooting at a nursery.
Source: bbc.com
Trending News
Ashanti NDC members protest return of former DVLA regional director
14:24Ghana revokes diplomatic and service passports of former officials and non-state actors
13:12MP for Awutu Senya West supports 53 tertiary students with scholarships
11:49Defence Minister commends Erastus Asare Donkor for anti-galamsey reporting
01:03DVLA to open six overseas offices to help curb fake Ghanaian licences abroad
11:54Supreme Court dismisses injunction application against President Mahama in Chief Justice case
12:41GA/R: Tragic fire claims life of 5-year-old girl at Adjei Kojo Sancity
11:36National Chairman is attending to some urgent issues in Accra, he will join the tour after that - Justin Kodua
00:19COCOBOD CEO urges return to core mandate of funding cocoa
11:28Sam George throws shade at Afenyo-Markin over police assault claims
12:21