Fake Monk Caught Distributing Phone Numbers to Women on Train, Soliciting Sex; Authorities Apprehend Him After He Initially Denied Being an Impostor
A man impersonating a Buddhist monk was caught at a train station in Nakhon Ratchasima after distributing his phone number to women and soliciting sex; authorities confirmed he had never been ordained at any temple despite his claims.
On May 8 at Chira Train Station in Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Dr. Pornpana Saenkarun, director of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Buddhism Office, along with city police, apprehended a man dressed as a Buddhist monk following complaints from the public about his inappropriate behavior. He allegedly gave his phone number to women, claiming to be seeking sexual contact. When investigated, the suspect claimed affiliation with a temple in Nakhon Phanom Province. However, after contacting the temple, authorities confirmed that no monk by his name was ever registered or stayed there. Verification of his ordination documents revealed the name Phra Manositta Tissavaro, but temples in Nakhon Phanom confirmed no one with that name had ever been ordained. Police conducted a body search but found nothing illegal. During negotiations with Phra Khru Siritarunobhas, the subdistrict abbot, the man initially denied everything and claimed to be a genuine monk. However, documentation confirmed his real name was Manositta (surname withheld), a Nakhon Phanom resident, and he was not a legitimate monk—merely impersonating one. After prolonged discussion, he eventually confessed. The district abbot, moved by compassion, decided not to file charges but instead placed him on a daily record with a warning that any future impersonation would result in immediate arrest.