Celebrating Ordination Day Drunk! Intoxicated Monk Enters Popular Shabu Restaurant, Heads to Bar, Then Challenges Police to Fight
A 60-year-old monk from Nong Bua Lamphu was arrested in Udon Thani after becoming heavily intoxicated, attempting to enter a bar, and attacking police officers. He was defrocked and charged with public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
At 8 PM on May 23, 2569, Deputy Superintendent Sataporn Sawatdee of Muang Udon Thani Police Station received a report of an intoxicated monk behaving disruptively and attempting to enter a popular shabu-shabu buffet restaurant and a liquor bar behind a shopping mall on Thong Yai Road in Udon Thani Municipality, about 300 meters from Udon Thani Railway Station. Police Unit 191 rushed to the scene.
When officers arrived, shopping mall security had already seated the monk on the ground near the bar entrance. He was wearing only a simple robe and lower garment with flip-flops, showing severe signs of intoxication. He staggered, spoke incoherently, reeked of alcohol, and shouted while cursing onlookers. He claimed he had drunk clear whisky and could drink wherever he wanted because it wasn't unconstitutional—arguing that politicians who created the constitution were the real violators.
Police found his monk's certificate and ID card, identifying him as Phra Somr Kusomo (Dhammayut sect), also known as Mr. Somr, 60 years old, a temple-ordained monk from Wat Pa Lailai in Nong Bua Lamphu Province. He had been ordained for 20 years since age 40. When questioned, he remained heavily intoxicated and angry at being checked, insulting reporters as ignorant of the constitution and challenging two police officers to fight.
Police transported him by pickup truck to collect his belongings from Udon Thani Railway Station. As they attempted to take him to the temple, he tried jumping from the moving vehicle. When police stopped to restrain him, he grabbed an officer's baton and attempted to strike them, leading to a struggle before he was handcuffed to the truck bed amid public shock.
Police then took Somr to Wat Bodhi Samphon, a royal temple in Udon Thani Province, for immediate defrocking. Venerable Sutthipaññavat, deputy provincial sangha leader, conducted the disrobing ceremony and removed his yellow robes. Afterward, he remained intoxicated and disoriented, unable to recall where he was or came from, but admitted to Venerable Sutthipaññavat that he drinks regularly whenever possible, claiming it relieves arm tightness.
After Somr changed into white civilian clothes, police invited him to the station, but he refused, saying he wanted to rest at the temple. However, officers escorted him out of the provincial sangha leader's quarters. He then argued with police again, claiming he was being forced to leave and threatened to punch an officer. Police took him into custody and filed charges for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
Sawon, 55, the shopping mall security guard, revealed that he first saw the monk arriving by tuk-tuk at the railway station entrance, then saw him emerge later in severe intoxication reeking of alcohol. The monk initially asked Sawon if he had seen his mother, and when told no, he attempted to enter the shopping mall.
