Stricter screening measures for new monks

21 Dec 2016 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS Bangkok Post

The Sangha Supreme Council on Wednesday said it has 
completed an upgrade of its database to prevent monks who 
have been disrobed because of misconduct or criminal offences 
from re-entering the monkhood.

The system would be developed further to link with the Royal 
Thai Police’s criminal database, Boonchert Kittithara, director 
of the secretariat of the SSC, said. 

In recent years there had been evidence of monks having been 
disrobed for committing a serious breach of monastic rules or being disrobed for other reasons being re-ordained in Buddhist temples in 
remote rural areas. 

The Phra Upatcha, who conducts ordinations, at these remote 
temples would approve the requests to enter the monkhood because 
they had no effective way of checking personal histories of the 
petitioners.  

The system would help the Phra Upatcha across the country, who 
have the final say in accepting or rejecting requests from men 
wishing to enter the monkhood, to better screen qualifications. 

Mr Boonchert urged the Phra Upatcha to contact the Office of 
Buddhism in their provinces and submit each prospective monk’s 
13-digit ID card number. The record-screening would proceed 
immediately.

“We will develop a database system to include police criminal 
records so that we can screen criminal fugitives who want to hide 
behind monk’s robes,” Mr Boonchert said.