In a recent incident of Bowl Brawl, a violent Thai monk’s alms lid swipe led to him reportedly striking a local woman. This action resulted in the victim requiring four stitches to her head. Allegedly, the monk’s aggressive attack was provoked by the woman’s delay in assisting him with packing his food offerings.
A witness managed to record a video capturing the moment when the monk, identified as Nart, attempted to flee after assaulting a 75-year-old woman named Yu. The witness clarified that Nart struck Yu with the lid of his alms bowl before hastily attempting to transport her to the hospital in a taxi.
However, witnesses and motorcycle taxi riders at the scene intervened to prevent Nart from leaving, fearing he might escape justice.
The video footage shows witnesses repeatedly questioning the monk about the motive for the attack, while Nart urged them to stop filming. Despite exiting the taxi, the monk remained tight-lipped about his actions.
According to witnesses who spoke to the media, the incident occurred around 7 am on March 24th, near Soi Wuttakart 14 in Bangkok’s Thon Buri district.
One motorcycle taxi rider, Somchai Markpanya, disclosed that this wasn’t the first time the monk had targeted Yu.
In previous instances, the monk had struck Yu with the alms bowl’s lid multiple times, but this time resulted in the most severe injury.
Repeated assaults
Somchai provided insight into the repeated assaults, revealing that Yu, a vendor at a nearby market, had consistently offered food to the monk and assisted him in packing food offerings from locals into sacks.
Sharing his own encounter, Somchai recounted an incident where Nart became enraged during a motorcycle ride to the temple. Nart lashed out, striking Somchai’s body with the alms bowl’s lid when they passed the intended destination.
Despite the attacks, Somchai expressed a desire for Nart to cease his aggressive behavior. He emphasized the importance of monks embodying calmness and kindness as per Buddhist monastic principles.
Yu later recounted the incident on Amarin TV, disclosing her long-standing assistance to Nart spanning over a decade.
She characterized Nart as volatile and unpredictable, having harmed her on numerous occasions in the past.
Despite these incidents, she had chosen to keep them hidden, attributing her injuries to accidents.
Expressing forgiveness but firm resolve, Yu pledged to sever ties with the monk and pursue legal action against him. While harboring no ill will, she lodged a complaint and aimed to seek justice through proper channels.
According to Naewna, Nart disappeared from the temple after the assault gained traction on Thai social media platforms. He departed in a pickup truck, informing fellow monks of his intention to return to his home province, Uttaradit.”
