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The Thai temple that has fallen empty after monks flunked drug tests

Four monks including an abbot at a Buddhist temple in Phetchabun province's Bung Sam Phan district in central Thailand tested positive for methamphetamine on Monday. The monks have been sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation, leaving the temple empty

|Nov 29, 2022, 15:25:24 IST

Bangkok: A Buddhist temple in central Thailand has been left without monks after all its holy men failed drug tests and were defrocked, a local official said Tuesday.

Four monks including an abbot at a temple in Phetchabun province's Bung Sam Phan district tested positive for methamphetamine on Monday, district official Boonlert Thintapthai told AFP.

The monks have been sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation, the official said.

"The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making," he said.

Merit-making involves worshippers donating food to monks as a good deed.

Boonlert said more monks will be sent to the temple to allow villagers to practise their religious obligations.

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