Villagers Puzzled: Monk Pitches Tent in Public Park, Waiting to Check Lottery Numbers

At 5:00 PM on January 31, 2024, local police received a report about a man dressed like a monk camping under a pine tree near a suspension bridge in Nong Prachak Silakhom Public Park in Udon Thani. Police Lieutenant Bancha Sarapanya and a Buddhist office coordinator went to investigate. Upon arrival, they found a man in monk-like attire with a blue tent and monk's accessories. He showed his ID and monk certification, identifying himself as Phra Somboon, a 63-year-old monk from Udon Thani who was ordained on July 22, 2018, at Wat Pa Na Kham Noi. Phra Somboon explained that he had just returned from Phra That Phanom in Nakhon Phanom and arrived in Udon Thani after dark. When he requested to stay at a local temple, he was denied, so he set up his tent in the public park. He was waiting to check lottery numbers, having spent 200 baht on lottery tickets. In the previous draw, he had narrowly missed winning with numbers 927 and 972. Police informed him that the park has specific operating hours from 04:00-20:00 for public safety and to prevent homeless people from staying overnight. Since he was unaware of the rules, they helped him pack up his tent and accessories to catch a bus back to his temple in Nayung District, Udon Thani.