Abbot Punishes Novice to Walk 56km from Cemetery

Khaosod•Society•8d ago

Reader Briefing

A 14-year-old Laotian novice was punished by an abbot in Kalasin Province by being left in a cemetery and forced to walk 56 kilometers back to the temple.

•A 14-year-old novice from Laos was left in a cemetery as punishment by an abbot in Kuchinarai District, Kalasin Province.
•The novice was required to walk 56 kilometers back to the temple, marking the third time such a punishment occurred.
•Villagers rescued the novice and brought him to Wat Pa Ban Song in Khamcha-i District, Mukdahan Province on August 31, 2026.
•A social media post by Anya Khru Ba On Noi on September 1, 2026, highlighted the safety concerns regarding the punishment.

Overview

•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 Sappang Khanong, Saysettha District, Vientiane Prefecture, Lao PDR.
•An abbot at a temple in Kuchinarai District, Kalasin Province, left the novice in a cemetery and ordered the novice to walk 56 kilometers back to the temple.
•The abbot performed this action as a punishment for the novice.
•The novice stated that this was the third time the novice had been punished in this manner.
•Anya Khru Ba On Noi posted on September 1, 2026, questioning the safety of the punishment given the novice's young age and the nighttime conditions.
•The administrative ecclesiastical authority in the area has been notified and stated that the novice would be kept temporarily while the authority notifies the responsible abbot.

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Key Entities

Person

Anya Khru Ba On Noi(อัญญาครู บาอ้อนน้อย)

The person who posted about the novice's punishment on September 1, 2026.

Place

Kalasin Province(จ.กาฬสินธุ์)ℹ️

The province where the temple and the abbot who punished the novice are located.

Khamcha-i District(อำเภอคำชะอี)ℹ️

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

Mukdahan Province(จ.มุกดาหาร)ℹ️

The province where Wat Pa Ban Song is located.

Kuchinarai District(อ.กุฉินารายณ์)ℹ️

The district in Kalasin Province where the novice resided.

Lao PDR(สปป.ลาว)ℹ️

The home country of the novice.

Ban Sappang Khanong, Saysettha District, Vientiane Prefecture(บ้านสัพพังคะนง เมืองไซธานี แขวงหลวงเวียงจันทร์)

The specific hometown of the 14-year-old novice.

Organization

Wat Pa Ban Song(วัดป่าบ้านซ่ง)

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