Abbot forces novice to walk 56km from cemetery as punishment

Matichon•Society•21d ago

Reader Briefing

A 14-year-old novice from Laos was allegedly abandoned at a cemetery by an abbot and forced to walk 56 kilometers back to his temple as a punishment.

•A 14-year-old novice from Laos was abandoned at a cemetery in Khamcha-i District.
•The novice was forced by his abbot to walk 56 kilometers back to the temple.
•The novice reported that this was the third time he had been punished in this manner.
•The incident was reported via a Facebook post by Anya Kru Baon Noi on September 1.

•On August 31, 2026, at 18:00, a novice was brought to Wat Pa Ban Song in Khamcha-i District, Mukdahan Province, after being found by villagers.
•The novice is a 14-year-old from Ban Sapphang Khanong, Xaythany District, Vientiane Prefecture, Lao PDR.
•The abbot of a temple in Kuchinarai District, Kalasin Province, allegedly left the novice at a cemetery to punish the novice.
•The abbot forced the novice to walk a distance of 56 kilometers back to the temple as a form of punishment.
•The novice stated that the novice had been punished in this manner three times already.
•Anya Kru Baon Noi posted the details of the incident on Facebook on September 1.
•The governing ecclesiastical authority in the area has been contacted and will notify the abbot responsible for the novice.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Anya Kru Baon Noi(อัญญาครู บาอ้อนน้อย)

The person who posted about the incident on Facebook.

Wat Pa Ban Song(วัดป่าบ้านซ่ง)

A temple in Khamcha-i District, Mukdahan Province, where the novice was taken for safety.

Khamcha-i District(อำเภอคำชะอี)ℹ️

The district in Mukdahan Province where the cemetery was located.

Mukdahan Province(จังหวัดมุกดาหาร)ℹ️

The province where Wat Pa Ban Song and the cemetery are located.

Kuchinarai District(อำเภอกุฉินารายณ์)ℹ️

The district in Kalasin Province where the novice's temple is located.

Kalasin Province(จังหวัดกาฬสินธุ์)ℹ️

The province where the novice's temple is located.

Lao PDR(สปป.ลาว)ℹ️

The country of origin of the 14-year-old novice.

Ban Sapphang Khanong(บ้านสัพพังคะนง)

The village in Xaythany District where the novice is from.

Xaythany District(เมืองไซธานี)ℹ️

The district in Vientiane Prefecture where the novice is from.

Vientiane Prefecture(แขวงหลวงเวียงจันทร์)ℹ️

The prefecture in Lao PDR where the novice is from.