A 55-year-old Buddhist monk has been disrobed and arrested after allegedly killing a 21-year-old newlywed woman in a hit-and-run in Buriram province, Thailand. The monk, named locally as Phra Itthirit and known as Phra Dao, is accused of striking Rujikorn “Kimji” Sida Samma before fleeing the scene.
Fatal Collision and Immediate Aftermath
On the evening of October 27, Rujikorn, 21, was reportedly standing by the roadside helping relatives pack dried paddy rice into fertiliser sacks. A silver Toyota Corolla struck her, leaving her with life-threatening injuries. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Rujikorn reportedly died.
The driver allegedly sped off after hitting Rujikorn. Moments later, as the car fled through the area, it is reported to have hit and killed a local villager’s water buffalo as well.
Manhunt and Capture
A motorcyclist reportedly chased the badly damaged car for more than 10 kilometres, before the vehicle was abandoned at a temple and the driver disappeared, sparking a search. Police and locals reportedly launched a two-day manhunt, with around 50 villagers eventually cornering the monk in an abandoned monastic cell in woodland nearby.
The victim’s father-in-law was the one who found him. The monk was at the time allegedly preparing to crawl into a latrine pit in a desperate attempt to escape capture, Thairath Online reported.
Arrest and Disrobing Ceremony
After his arrest, suspicions were raised that alcohol may have played a part. Officers searching the monk’s temple quarters reportedly found bottles of white spirits. Phra Dao admitted driving the car but denied drinking, claiming the bottles belonged to visitors and insisting he did not see Rujikorn because it was dark.
Following his capture, authorities carried out a formal disrobing ceremony, stripping him of his monastic status in front of an angry crowd. He was then taken into custody to face charges including fatal negligence, hit-and-run and failing to provide assistance.
Context and Impact
The tragedy has been made even more heartbreaking by claims from relatives that Rujikorn had been married just 26 days before she was killed. In countries where Theravada Buddhism is dominant, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, “disrobing” (also called defrocking) is the formal process of stripping a monk of his monastic status and returning him to life as an ordinary layman, Thai-Journal Online explains.
The saffron/orange robe is treated as a sacred symbol of the Buddha’s Sangha (the monastic community). Because of that, a monk is generally not meant to be handled like an ordinary suspect by secular authorities while he is still wearing the robe. In practice, this means the monk is usually disrobed first, before police can detain him as they would any other member of the public.
