Thailand's government will crack down on what they call "Criminals In Saffron Robes", such as: rogue monks, beggar monks and swindlers, including monks who solicit funds and construct Buddha images without legal permission.

Deputy Prime Minister Vishanu Krua-ngam made the announcement at a seminar in Bangkok to solve problems related to rogue and fake monks and their untoward practices.

About 1% of monks in Thailand tarnish the monastic institution by failing to abide by religious regulations and principles, he further added, but the Thai government could not take immediate action against them because Monks are under the jurisdiction of the Religious department in each province in Thailand. The National Buddhism Office can only act when the chief monk in a Thai province fails to take action, he added.

Many fugitive criminals are ordained into the Thai monkshood. Some are able to transform themselves into good citizens but many continue committing crimes and damage the image of the Thai monks and Buddhism in Thailand. The Thai government has to address this problem much stronger, minister Vishanu Krua-ngam said.

Khun Vishanu further said it had been discovered that a bank account set up by a Thai Monk supposing to collect donated funds for his Bangkok Temple, had no connection at all with the temple. I therefore have ordered Thailand's Anti-Money Laundering Office to investigate and press fraud charges against this Thai Monk, the Minister said. I have also instructed related government agencies to keep a close watch on temple managers who take advantage of sick abbots and Thai Monks.

Some temple managers, as an example, do not pay the construction contractors who were hired to build their temples and the abbots then get sued,' he said. The Minister also vowed to take drastic action against abbots who order the construction of huge Buddha images or temples without permission, saying the construction is often sub-standard, creating a danger of the images collapsing on nearby houses of villagers.

Minister Vishanu also instructed TV Channel 11 to produce more religious programs, including 5 minutes of Buddhist preaching every morning and evening after the news program.

Thailand's deputy prime minister also launched a proposal to establish a non-government agency and hire a professional team to manage the assets of all temples across Thailand. This new agency would work under the supervision of a council of Thai Monks, the Minister concluded.