Temple asked to reroute march

The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand has agreed to negotiate with the Dhammakaya Temple to reorganise the next pilgrimage march destined for Bangkok after yesterday’s event caused complaints about heavy traffic.

Speaking after the discussion with Phanom Sornsilp, director of the National Office of Buddhism (NOB), Phra Prom Molee, vice-abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, said the council will ask the Dhammakaya Temple to hold the next march in outer Bangkok to avoid traffic congestion.

Phra Prom Molee said the council asked the Dhammakaya Temple if it was possible to avoid Bangkok or cancel the next march, but the temple said the event had already been publicised.

To solve the problem, the council told the temple to ensure the march is held outside the city, takes no longer than an hour and that flower scattering will not be allowed.

The discussion came after Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana instructed the NOB to look into the march.

Mr Suwaphan said he received a lot of calls complaining about traffic congestion in the city yesterday.

However, the temple claimed it had received permission to hold the march from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Royal Thai Police. The march is a part of the “4th Dhammachai Dhutanga to Revive World Morality” activity, and 1,130 pilgrim monks participated.

It covered several busy areas along Chaeng Watthana Road.

Meanwhile, photos posted on social media showing students sitting on pavements waiting for the pilgrimage march drew criticism from several netizens, who said they were concerned it was dangerous for the children to sit at the side of the road.

Facebook user “Looksua Number 9” said it was Education Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai’s duty to look into such issues.

Children should be in classrooms not on pavements waiting to scatter flower petals to pay respect to monks, he said.