Wat Nongjubtao demands apology from online media
With all the upheaval at Wat Boonsamphan this past week, another Sattahip temple has been receiving bad online press. Phra Kru Thammayanprayuth, abbot of Wat Nongjubtao in Najomtien, Sattahip, is allegedly suing the “Big Krien” Facebook moderators for publishing rumors about the temple being greedy and only serving Chinese tours.
Sound familiar?
In the evening of Oct 25, the “Indy Big Krien Sue Nokkok” published photos and claimed that Wat Nongjubtao, “supported Chinese tour gangsters by renting out the area to gain benefits from fraud for selling Buddha amulets to build new duo main halls as photographed. Moreover, the temple doesn’t care although local residents have (complained) leading to conflict … Many people had negative comments and were seeking the firing of the abbot.”
The following day, on Oct. 26, Phra Kru Piyakitwiboon, aka Ajan Kaew, Najomtien Sub-district Dean of Monks, and Phra Kru Thammayanprayuth, Wat Nongjubtao abbot, said the claims were false and that the online media had twisted the truth. They insisted the temple used its own money to build the new main halls and Phaya Tao Ruan (big turtle sculpture) for 10 million baht. They said door fa็ade and Naga surrounding the old main hall and the new main hall were supported by Chonsawad Atsawaheam, a famous politician who donated the money for the building and construction.
Pramuan Pensuk, 35, acting as the temple’s representative, reported to Najomtien Police that the publisher “totally ruined the temple’s and the abbot’s reputation” and they wished to sue the administrators of “Big Krien” with the charge of publication of false information and libel according to the Computer Crime Act.
Phra Kru Thammayanprayuth said he wants the publishers to apologize in the press and to publicize the true story. Otherwise the temple will continue the lawsuit until it is settled.
The administrators of “Big Krien” have so far not come out with their side of the story.