Phichit —
On November 23rd, 2024, Mr. Rueangdet Sroikham, the District Chief of Pho Thale, Phichit, revealed that 41 bodies were discovered at the Pa Nakhon Chaibovorn monastery in the Saloak Bat district.
Local authorities instructed that the bodies not be moved until their identities are confirmed, with an investigation scheduled for November 25th. The process will require a large team of officers due to the number of bodies.
Previously, a Facebook page in Kamphaeng Phet posted about unusual activities at the forest monastery, including claims of using corpses in spiritual practices. The post urged authorities to investigate.
Following the complaint, Phichit Provincial Police confirmed that the 41 deceased individuals were indeed found at the monastery, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of their deaths, whether they were natural or otherwise, and whether they were properly donated with documentation such as death certificates.
The investigation revealed that the bodies were apparently donated for medical training purposes, and further checks will be conducted on November 25th with the District Chief and the Department of Buddhism.
The bodies, which are dried and skeletal, are arranged in 15 pavilions in the forest, each corresponding to a meditation station. Initially, the monastery registered as a meditation center on donated land.
