Bangkok’s fake disabled monk defies police, returns to begging
The 65-year-old man caught begging posing as a disabled Buddhist monk returns to the street just one day after being fined and disrobed by monastic authorities
A 65-year-old man caught begging on a Bangkok street disguised as a disabled Buddhist monk returned to begging on Monday, just one day after losing his saffron robes to monastic authorities.
After netizens raised an outcry over the impropriety of a Buddhist monk begging in the streets, police took the man in for questioning on Sunday.
Many social networkers had earlier complained that the so-called monk was seen begging on a street in Phya Thai district. He reportedly pretended to have disabled legs and needed crutches to move around.
Police identified the begging monk as Nipon, 65, from Saraburi and took him to the Monks Hospital, where he was disrobed for violating the monks’ law by begging. He was also fined 100 baht for violating the law.
However, on Monday, TikTok user zhetols posted a clip of passersby giving money to a beggar who looked like the same man. He reportedly pretended to be disabled and appeared to be using crutches.
“Today, he wears white. Now that he has been disrobed, he can do the same job. #fakemonk #monkpretendingdisabled,” the post read.
