Community Opposes Temple Pond Lease Deal for Fish Catching Permits as Abbot Urges Delay
Community backlash forced a Sri Saket temple to delay a plan to lease a sacred fish pond to a private operator selling catching permits as a fundraiser, with residents arguing it violates Buddhist principles and harms fish long used for mer
A controversy has shaken public faith in a sanctuary zone after the community proposed leasing the pond behind Wat Nong Tama to a private operator to sell fish-catching permits as a fundraiser for temple repairs. Local residents have strongly opposed the plan, and the abbot has indicated the project is insensitive, though acknowledging mutual misunderstandings, and has asked for a delay. The dispute has sparked intense public criticism on social media over the Nong Tama pond, a large water body behind Wat Nong Tama in Sri Saket Municipality.
On May 6, 2026, this reporter visited the site and found Nong Tama to be a large natural wetland-like water source behind the temple, home to various fish species including tilapia, snakehead, and catfish visible on the water's surface. For decades, residents have regularly fed the fish, especially on weekends and birthdays, coming to make merit by releasing fish and providing food in a practice spanning over ten years. The public has come to associate this pond with the temple as a sanctuary zone where harming aquatic life is forbidden, partly due to past signage. The fish, unafraid of humans and reproducing rapidly, have become part of the community's spiritual connection to the site.
However, investigations revealed that Nong Tama does not lie within temple property and lacks documentation recognizing it as public land or royal property. The Sri Saket Municipality is currently surveying the area. The community identified problems including overpopulation causing water quality deterioration and occasional fish die-offs creating foul odors during dry or rainy seasons.
The community held a meeting and decided to lease the pond to a private operator to organize a fish-catching event, selling 5,000-baht permits on May 17, with proceeds funding temple hall repairs. Though intended to solve environmental and community development issues, the plan sparked strong online opposition, with critics viewing it as killing fish that people had released and violating Buddhist precepts and sanctuary principles. Public opinion split into supporters and opponents.
Noi Payom, 71, who has sold fish food in the area for over ten years, revealed the pond long served as a merit-making site, especially on weekends when many came to feed fish. Since news of the plan emerged, foot traffic has declined as people feel their released fish will be caught and sold. She opposes the permit sales out of compassion for the fish, though acknowledging others see it as solving overpopulation. Regarding foul odors, she noted they haven't occurred this year but remembered a past season when mass fish die-offs created stench, compounded by herbicide spraying.
