The National Office of Buddhism insists monks boarding a private jet, wearing sunglasses and using luxury items is not a serious breach of monastic rules, but it is inappropriate.
A photo captured from a video clip at YouTube features a group of monks with sunglasses on a private jet. The monks’ behaviour has drawn heavy criticism from online viewers.
Office director Nopparat Benjawattananan said Monday it was not wrong for monks to fly on a private jet, as seen in a recent YouTube video, since the jet did not belong to them, but was donated.
Their conduct was not tantamount to breaching monastic rules and they would not be defrocked, he said.
The office had earlier warned the monks against acting inappropriately while staying in the monkhood.
He made his remarks in response to a recent YouTube clip featuring three monks travelling on a private jet.
In the video, the monks are wearing earphones and sunglasses and a Louis Vuitton bag can be seen next to one of them.
Mr Nopparat said he had received complaints about monks flying on private jets since late last year and had asked a panel to look into the complaints.
It was said that one of the monks in the clip is Luang Pu Nen Khum, the abbot of Wat Pa Khantitham in Kanthararom district of Si Sa Ket.
The temple staff told reporters that the abbot is visiting France for a month for Buddhism activities.
Meanwhile, another monk, Phra Kru Palad Sitthiwat, better known as Luang Phi Namfon, is known to be on a Department of Special Investigation list for possession of luxury cars.
However, Mr Nopparat said Luang Phi Namfon, who is the abbot at Wat Pailom in Nakhon Pathom, is not the type of person to be fond of using luxurious items. His office had looked into the matter and found the monk had received those cars from his followers. Most donated cars were old and modified ones, he said.
The monk had repaired the vehicles and kept them at his temple. Some cars were sold and the money went to the temple, he said.
"Luang Phi Namfon admits he possesses one luxury car, but not for his own use. The vehicle is on display at the temple," said Mr Nopparat.
He also asked why followers of the monks had not donated more suitable cars to them.
Luang Phi Namfon told reporters yesterday he admitted possessing an old Jaguar donated by a follower who owned a Thai restaurant in the United States.
The car was imported from the US in parts and it was assembled in Thailand. Tax of more than 1.5 million baht had been paid on the purchase.