Dismantling stigma for PLHIV

Renowned hospice temple an essential but stop-gap measure, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn in Lop Buri

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at Phrabat Namphu in Lop Buri province has long been seen as a sanctuary for People Living with HIV (PLHIV), a place of last resort for those abandoned by families and shunned by society.

Founded by Abbot Phra Alongkot Tikkapanyo in 1992, the temple became known nationwide as a hospice offering shelter, care, and dignity to those who had nowhere else to go. For decades, it has relied heavily on donations, drawn in by dramatic images of suffering patients and stories of the abbot’s compassion.

But recently, the temple has been embroiled in scandals.

What began as an embezzlement investigation into Seksan Sapsuebsakul, better known as “Mor Bee the Ghost Buster’, a fortune teller and former fundraising assistant, soon spiralled into allegations of corruption within the temple itself. The abbot — once celebrated as a humanitarian figure — has now come under public scrutiny.

Last week, the Bangkok Post paid an investigative visit to the temple to observe the atmosphere following the scandal and to hear from those living within the temple community and its surroundings.

While much of the debate has focused on financial misconduct, a deeper, more uncomfortable truth was found to have lain beneath the surface: the scandal is not simply about money.

It is about stigma, with the marginalisation of PLHIV in Thailand creating the very conditions that allowed Wat Phrabat Namphu to become both a refuge and a site of exploitation.

Without confronting HIV stigma head-on, such cycles of dependency, abandonment, and abuse will continue.

TORN BETWEEN REVERENCE AND DOUBT

Amidst the scandal surrounding the temple, local folks have been grappling with mixed emotions.

A shop owner in her 50s recalled hearing longstanding rumours of irregularities in the temple's finances. “People whispered about the abbot's relatives suddenly getting rich. So, when the scandal broke, I can’t say I was shocked,” she said.