Nonthaburi: A temple in Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province, has faced a challenging situation as its water and electricity have been cut off due to unpaid bills. The temple, Wat Bang Phut Nok, owes 56,000 baht for electricity and 20,000 baht for water, leading to its 25 monks having to light candles and sleep in tents for the past two nights. According to Thai News Agency, the financial difficulties have persisted for more than three months, forcing some monks to request separate electricity meters to manage and pay for their own electricity usage. To cope with the lack of power, temporary solutions such as installing solar panels in limited areas have been attempted. However, these efforts have not been sufficient to address the broader issues, leaving monks without essential utilities. The situation has also affected the temple's ability to provide cremation services, as the electric-powered funeral hall and crematorium are inoperative without electricity. This has led to the temple turning away famil ies who intended to conduct ceremonies and make merit. Mr. Sanit, the temple's 66-year-old treasurer, mentioned that a similar crisis occurred last year, which was resolved temporarily by borrowing 80,000 baht. The temple held a Kathin robe offering ceremony to repay the debt at that time. However, the financial challenges have resurfaced, forcing monks to endure uncomfortable and challenging living conditions, especially with the rainy season bringing more mosquitoes. The temple's financial management is overseen by the abbot, who faces difficulties in months when funds are insufficient to cover utility bills. Mr. Sanit expressed hope for external assistance and emphasized the need for discussions with the abbot to improve financial management to prevent future occurrences of such hardships. For now, the immediate goal is to restore water and electricity to the temple.
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