Woman Demands Temple Documents from Buddhist Affairs Office
A 62-year-old woman visited Thailand's National Buddhist Affairs Office seeking to verify documents about a temple's establishment in Khon Kaen Province after discovering it isn't registered in the national database.
At 1 p.m. on August 18, 2025, Chommanee Noi Chanthon, a 62-year-old woman known as Paa Daa, visited the National Buddhist Affairs Office on Buddhaphalomanee Road 4, Salaya Subdistrict, Buddhaphalomanee District, Nakhon Pathom Province, to request examination of documents regarding the establishment of Wat Pa Adulyaram in Muang District, Khon Kaen Province. She sought to verify whether the temple was properly authorized according to Buddhist Affairs regulations and monastic law. Her inquiry follows her discovery that the temple's name does not appear in the National Buddhist Affairs Office registry. Director Theerdej Chantratthan accepted her request on behalf of the office.
Paa Daa clarified that she seeks to verify crucial documents including temple establishment permits, petitions, and all related papers, not to reclaim land. She stated her family has requested document access for years through multiple appeals without success. The office has scheduled her document examination for Friday afternoon, August 21. Paa Daa emphasized that all parties deserve the chance to verify facts, and if her family is mistaken, they will accept the truth. She noted that negative social media commentary has severely affected family members' health, and she simply wants to find the truth. She confirmed through data from Khon Kaen's Buddhist Affairs office that the land title remains under the name of a person called Heiang, and her family holds a land title certificate dated 1933, asserting the area is not public land but privately held land claimed decades ago. Regarding claims the area was historically a mass burial forest, Paa Daa acknowledged it was once forest, but noted that those claiming land had to declare their right to pursue legal land title documentation, though she withheld conclusions pending document review. When asked about possible summons to Khon Kaen Province, she said no family member has yet received one and wants to first examine the Buddhist Affairs documents before deciding on further action. She expressed confidence the director will provide the requested documents and stated the family is not seeking to reclaim land now but wishes to follow proper procedure. She concluded: "Let me see the documents first, then we'll talk. I am a person, not a criminal. Before condemning the family, I ask that you verify and listen to us too."
