What Does a Monk Own in Thailand?
Over the years, some monks in Thailand have appeared quite rich, driving around in Mercedes, flying on private jets, and wearing luxury items. These flamboyant Thai monks often make the news and trouble the Buddhist authorities in Thailand, who rightly see such monks as tarnishing the image of the Kindgom’s national religion. The rationale that “wealthy” Buddhist monks often cite for owning luxury goods is that they don’t actually own them but that they are the property of the temple, and/or that it was donated by a rich benefactor who was making merit.
Whether such claims are true is debatable. While it is true that the items acquired by a monk during the period of their monkhood are inherited by their temple, a Thai monk has all of the same rights of property ownership as an individual. However, it is rare to ever find a monk in the Northeast of Thailand (Isaan) with any possessions but the bare necessities, following in the footsteps of legendary forest monks such as Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta and Ajahn Sao Kantasilo.
The Common Items Owned by a Thai Buddhist Monk
All Buddhist monks in Thailand will own items such as an alms bowl, robe, razor and whetstone, tea kettle, holy water bowl, mosquito net, monk manual, cloth bag, canteen, sandals, water filter, bath towel, blanket, and umbrella. The following items were owned by the revered Thai monk Luang Pu Phan Panya Patipo (หลวงปู่ผ่าน ปัญญาปทีโป), who mentored under Ajahn Mun and passed away in 2011 at the age of 85. These items are on display at the temple Wat Pa Prathip Bunyaram (วัดป่าปทีปบุญญาราม) in Sakon Nakhon. Click on the image for a larger photo.
The Parts of a Thai Monk’s Robes
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