Four Buddhist monks in Thailand have been sent to rehab after testing positive for methamphetamine, according to reports.
The monks, including the abbot at a temple in Phetchabun province’s Bung Sam Phan district, tested positive for the drug on Monday, Thai officials told an official told Agence France-Presse.
THAI AIRWAYS’ OFFERS ‘FLIGHT TO NOWHERE’ THAT WILL FLY OVER SACRED BUDDHIST SITES
“The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making,” said the official, Boonlert Thintapthai.
Merit-making is a Buddhist practice that involves followers donating food to monks as a good deed. More monks will be sent to the temple to resume operations inside.
Thailand is a major drug transit point for methamphetamine coming from neighboring Myanmar, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said.