Phuket's 'rip-off temple' exposed by prominent critic

Prominent Facebook user MC Chulcherm Yugala says this Phuket temple, Wat Latthiwanaram, is nothing but a front for an amulet-selling business catering to Chinese tourists. (FB/chulcherm.yugala)

A Buddhist temple in Phuket has come under fire for allowing a private enterprise to lease its land and build structures to cater to foreign group tours.

The provincial Buddhism office insisted there was nothing illegal or morally wrong with the temple's practice but promised to investigate the controversy and take action if illegal activities were involved.

The issue erupted after a Facebook user, MC Chulcherm Yugala, posted a message calling on the National Office of Buddhism to investigate the conduct of Wat Latthiwanaram, located in tambon Chalong in Muang district.

He called into question the temple's practices, claiming a fake ubosot, or ordination hall, had been built to house an amulet-selling business which catered to Chinese tourists only.

MC Chulcherm, a retired army general who is extremely active on social media, is the younger brother of MC Chatrichalerm Yugala, the renowned filmmaker (The Legend of Suriyothai, King Naresuan, etc).

MC Chulcherm wrote that a Buddhist monk sprinkled holy water on tourists and a temple worker gave them "the hard sell". He claimed the amulets, which were fake, were sold at inflated prices.

Winya Palatkwa, director of the provincial Buddhism office, said the office had conducted a probe into the temple and "found nothing wrong with it".

He said the temple signed a one-year contract with a Thai private operator to lease the temple land for commercial development. The contract can be renewed for a year. The temple was paid a monthly rent of 50,000 baht.

The business operator built a Brahmin shrine and a structure to house the amulet shop targeting Chinese tourists, he said, pointing out the structure was not an ubosot, but designed to fit in with Thai temple architecture.

Mr Winya said the arrangement between the temple and the private operator was not morally wrong and the abbot was authorised to sign the contract as long as it did not exceed three years.

A lease contract exceeding three years requires approval from a committee.

Asked about the highly inflated prices of amulets which some could regard as a rip-off, he said he was not in the position to comment because price negotiations were between vendors and buyers.

The office would today inspect the temple and legal action would be taken if any illegal activities are uncovered, including attempts to coerce tourists to buy fake amulets.

Mr Winya added two more temples have leased land to business operators, to build shrines and run amulet shops to raise funds for temple development.