Disgraced priest to be unfrocked for drink
Dispute about amount of whisky consumed Distressed gentlefolk called the police sub-station at Dongtan after they noticed a Buddhist monk wandering down the Jomtien beach road in a drunken condition. After police caught up with him, they invited him to the cop shop for a heart to heart talk. He said his name was Sinchai Meenang, aged 59, and that he had co me to Pattaya to find his relatives. However, the place was bigger than he expected and his searches led nowhere. He was then escorted to the south Pattaya road temple where he told the abbot that he had been ordained in August of 2006. Unfortunately, he was often in pain because of some disorder or other and sometimes took a nip of whisky to alleviate the twinges. He denied absolutely that he drank to excess or behaved in a poor manner. But the abbot asked the police to give him a breath test and it became apparent that he was five times over the legal limit – if he had been driving a vehicle that is. This level of intoxication was more than enough to have him barred permanently from the priesthood and the matter is likely to be handled in that particular way.
Pattaya Today