Abbot Caught in Daylight Sexual Misconduct at Nakhon Temple
A temple abbot in Nakhon Si Thammarat was caught on video having sexual intercourse with a woman in broad daylight in front of his residence. Villagers allege the abbot engaged in regular sexual misconduct and threatened those who knew about it. Locals have submitted evidence to media and are demanding ecclesiastical authorities investigate both the abbot's conduct and temple finances following a recent Kathin ceremony that raised over 300,000 baht.
On November 7, 2026, a villager from the border area between Mueang and Pak Phanang districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat submitted video evidence to reporters to expose the behavior of an abbot at a Dhammayuttika Nikaya temple in the rural border area between the two districts. The abbot allegedly engaged in regular sexual misconduct despite knowing villagers were aware, and reportedly threatened those who knew about it. The video shows the identified abbot having sexual intercourse with a woman approximately 40 years old in broad daylight right in front of his own kuti. They only stopped when they noticed someone approaching, after which the woman quickly pulled up her pants as if nothing had happened. Villagers also captured still photos showing the abbot embracing the woman in clearly inappropriate conduct. The same villager stated such outdoor sexual encounters occurred regularly but had not been recorded until now. The incident was filmed on October 20 at a temple that was previously abandoned; the abbot in question is actually the abbot of another nearby temple who claimed he would restore the abandoned temple. A Kathin ceremony was held there recently, raising over 300,000 baht. The temple where he serves as abbot is scheduled to hold its Kathin ceremony on November 8. Local Buddhists are demanding that relevant authorities — including the provincial, district, and sub-district Dhammayuttika ecclesiastical officials — urgently investigate the temple's finances, fearing that if the scandal becomes public, temple funds might be embezzled.
