Thailand Buddhist monks drugs incident: did they test positive for methamphetamine - what happened?

Some of the biggest tourist sites in South East Asia are found at Buddhist temples.

People visiting Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand will often head to the religious sites. Their fascinating architecture and incredibly ornate interiors are a must-see, whilst the monks in their orange robes add a timeless quality to the scene.

But - in an incident more reminiscent of Netflix series Breaking Bad rather than a peaceful religious establishment - one temple in Thailand has become the centre of a criminal investigation after its monks failed drugs tests.

It comes almost two months after a national crackdown on drugs was ordered by Thai authorities following a shooting at a nursery that saw 37 people killed. The man who carried out the attack was known to police as a drug addict.

So what exactly happened to the Thai Buddhist monks?

What did Thai Buddhist monks do?

According to the Agence France-Press (AFP) news agency, a Thai official said four monks at a small temple in Bung Sam Phan - a district in the largely rural northern province of Phetchabun, roughly 200km north of Bangkok - tested positive for methamphetamine.

Even the monastery’s chief monk, the abbot, tested positive for the highly addictive drug - which is also known as crystal meth. It came after a raid on Monday (28 November), which saw police force the monks to undergo urine tests.

District official Boonlert Thintapthai said all of the monks have been sent to a health clinic to undergo a course of drug rehabilitation.

“[The] temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making," he explained to AFP. Merit-making, among other things, involves doing good deeds, making donations to monasteries or acting in a mindful way - it is seen as crucial in ensuring you get a good quality existence in the next life, and progress towards nirvana.

Mr Thintapthai also said that the local authorities and the regional monastic chief were working together allay the fears of the local populace and ensure new monks were assigned to the temple as soon as possible.

Why are drugs a problem in Thailand?

No information has been provided about how the temple and its monks came to the attention of Thai police. However, the raid comes against the backdrop of a nationwide push to halt drug trafficking.

Crystal meth, in particular, has become a major problem in Thailand in recent years. Police seized a record amount of the drug in 2021, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The majority of drug use in the South East Asian country is related to drugs like methamphetamine. Part of the reason for this is that it has become a major trafficking hub for the drug, which is produced in the failed state of Myanmar - the world’s largest supplier of crystal meth.

It is carried into Thailand via Laos - a country which borders Thailand to the North and West. Pills are then sold on the streets for around 50 Baht (£1.17).

In October, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced a crackdown on crystal meth would be taking place after a former police officer shot 37 people dead during an attack on a nursery.

While he had not taken drugs before the attack, the man - who has been named locally as Panya Khamrab - was known to be a drug addict and had appeared in court to face drugs charges just hours before the shooting. Khamrab had been dismissed from the police for methamphetamine possession.