Thai abbot disrobes & leaves monkhood after alleged affairs with 6 women

A Thai abbot, identified as Ajarn A, disrobed and left monkhood on Feb. 23 after allegations of affairs that involved six women.

A video of an argument involving the abbot's first wife, who identified herself as Pong, circulated on Facebook and Thai social media.

Pong claimed the abbot had wired money to one of the mistresses, who sent him explicit pictures and met him outside the temple regularly, reported The Thaiger.

A different video showed a woman believed to be Pong next to three other women, demanding that he choose between them.

Had relations with 6 women

According to Matichon Online, the abbot had relationships with six female devotees, including Pong, who had a child with him.

The list of women includes a female devotee who worked as a cook, two women he provided financial support for, a nun and a female bank employee.

The monk lived in a temple in Nonthaburi, a city just north of Bangkok.

Following the allegations and the resulting criticism, the Thai National Office of Buddhism launched an investigation.

On Feb. 23, the provincial monk chief in Nonthaburi told visiting officials that the abbot had agreed to disrobe within three days after the allegations surfaced, The Thaiger reported.

The abbot later met the deputy chief monk to perform the disrobing ceremony, according to Matichon Online.

According to The Thaiger, the Thai National Office of Buddhism will record the abbot's conduct in its database and report the matter to senior officials.

Investigations into the temple's financial transactions will also be conducted to find out how the monk was able to finance his relationships.

Top photo from Matichon