Buddhist Monks Accused of Human Trafficking: Children as Young as 5 Deceived into Ordination Scheme in Malaysia
Two Buddhist monks were arrested in Malaysia on human trafficking charges after a four-year scheme deceived Thai children as young as 5 into an ordination program; seven children remain detained in Kedah state while authorities work to secu
On May 8, 2025, at 10:30 AM, three families visited the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women to seek urgent help repatriating their sons from Malaysia. The affected children were ages 5, 11, and 12. The families explained that Buddhist monks had approached them in April 2025, requesting permission to take the children to participate in a summer ordination program in Malaysia. The monks assured them there would be no issues and that the temple had extensive experience organizing such trips.
Two monks were arrested by Malaysian police on human trafficking charges after authorities discovered a four-year pattern of deceiving Thai children. The scheme targeted children aged 5-15, some without travel documents and without parental consent. While 17 children with proper documentation have been returned to Thailand, seven children—including the 5-year-old—remain detained in Kedah state, Malaysia.
Paveena Hongsakul, foundation president, has sent urgent letters to the Malaysian embassy in Thailand and assigned Diana Foo, the foundation's foreign affairs consultant, to contact the Malaysian embassy directly for immediate assistance. The foundation is also coordinating with Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the children's safe return.
Ms. Ann, 40, mother of the 5-year-old, revealed she works as an engineer in the Philippines and left her son in the care of his grandparents in Prachuap Khiri Khan. On April 2, 2025, monks from a local temple—which the grandparents regularly patronized—requested permission to take the boy to Malaysia for the summer ordination program. Despite her concerns about the lack of a passport and the child's young age, the monks assured her there would be no problems and that the temple regularly organized such trips without incident. Due to the family's trust in the monks, they granted permission.
On April 4, contact with the child was lost. On April 6, a temple student informed the family that the children were at the border waiting for documents but would cross the next day. On April 8 at 5:08 PM, the family learned that seven children without passports—including Ms. Ann's son—had been detained at the Malaysian border, along with the monks and driver, while those with passports were allowed to return to Thailand. On April 29, Ms. Ann attempted to visit her son.
