Thailand: monk surrenders to police after abusing four novices for seven months and attempting to buy their families' silence

Proceedings

1. 2025-10-23 · suspect surrendered to police following disrobing; investigation ongoing

   Thai police, Bueng Kan Province. At 1am on 23 October 2025 the accused monk disrobed and surrendered to police later the same day, following accusations he abused four novices aged 13-16 over a seven-month period, forcing them into oral sex and other acts and beating those who resisted. He also reportedly pressured the boys to recruit additional novices to the temple. Two novices escaped the abuse by having their families claim sick relatives needed visiting; the remaining victims were relocated for safety once the investigation began. High-ranking monks separately attempted to settle the matter by offering the victims' families 300,000 baht, which the families refused and instead recorded as evidence. The suspect denied all allegations upon surrender; as of the 24 October 2025 reporting the case outcome had not been determined. Entered at active-investigation tier pending any later charge or verdict confirmation.

Documented coercion mechanisms

• his monastic authority over novices aged 13-16 under his supervision at the temple
• physical violence — beating novices who resisted — used to compel compliance over a seven-month period
• instructing the novices to recruit more boys into the temple as novices, expanding his pool of potential victims through the same institutional structure
• an attempted payoff of 300,000 baht offered by high-ranking monks to victims' families to secure silence and drop the matter, following the same institutional chain of authority