CityNews – A novice monk who was arrested last week for stealing 20,000 baht from a spa also forged certificates showing that monks were of senior rank, reports said.
The teenage monk following his arrest.
The monk told officers that he had committed several thefts, and spent the money on nights out dressed in women’s clothing.
The 17-year-old was in possession of a fake certificate and confessed that he was a member of a gang that forged them using fake rubber stamps for government institutions and the Sangha Supreme Council, the official governing body of Thai Buddhism.
Gang members charged between 25,000 and 100,000 baht to monks who wanted one to show their seniority, he said.
Police are working with Chiang Mai’s Office of Buddhism to find those involved in the gang. Officers believe they may also be transvestite or homosexual monks.
The teenage monk, who is currently being held in a youth detention centre, “speaks gibberish”, police told CityNews. His name is being withheld as he is under 18.