“I was a monk for six years, first in Trang and then in Pattani. I came to Phuket on June 29 to visit a friend in Patong,” said Chaiyasit Janpetch, 33, a Thai monk, who was arrested in Rassada on July 5 for theft and glue huffing.

Villagers near Wat Pra Aram in Thepkasattri Road, Rassada tipped off police at around 6pm, stating that a monk had been sniffing glue.

Waiting for his friend, Chaiyasit was sitting in a pavilion at Pa Aram Rattanaram Temple, both a can of glue and a plastic bag filled with glue lay beside him.

Authorities intercepted and arrested the monk at 9pm, finding a bag on him containing a tablet computer, a pocketknife, a mini DVD player, and some cash, with a total value estimated at around 7,000 baht ($223.74). A security camera identified the monk stealing from a grocery store on Thepkrasattri Road. Chaiyasti later confessed to the police that a day after he had arrived in Phuket, he stole 1,000 baht ($31.96) and the wallet of a student whose parents run the convenience store that captured his image on camera.

After Chaiyasit confessed to his glue sniffing habits and theft, he was taken to Buddha Mongkol Nimit Temple in Phuket Town to be defrocked and formally removed from the monkhood. He was then taken to Phuket City Police station for further questioning.

With no plans to return to Pattani, Chaiyasit went to Phuket, and proceeded to head towards the temple closest to the Rassada bus station, remaining there after being unable to contact his friend.

Mr Chaiyasit has been charged with sniffing glue and theft, and is most likely set to appear before Phuket Provincial Court on July 8.

Glue can be abused as an inhalant, a drug which induces an effect similar to alcohol, resulting in slurred speech, irritability, and disorientation in the short term, while causing irreversible brain damage in the long term.After sniffing glue, users experience sudden inflammation and irritation of the nose and throat with the development of a cough or wheeze. Users are prone to passing out after huffing glue due to the lack of oxygen intake, leaving a person open to choking easily on their vomit if unconscious. Sudden death from heart failure can occur if extreme exertion is attempted immediately after sniffing.

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