- Police in Thailand have arrested 75-year-old Taui Nanra, who claims to be a holy man.
- Taui is said to lead a group whose members drink his urine and consume his feces.
- Thai police say 11 bodies have been found in Taui’s home in the jungle.
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Police in Thailand have arrested a self-proclaimed holy man whose group of followers allegedly consumed his urine and sputum as a cure for disease.
Taui Nanra, 75, was arrested Sunday at his home in the jungles of Chayaphum, northeastern Thailand, according to the Associated Press. A Reuters video shows police putting Tawi without a shirt and beard in a vehicle while his supporters become entangled with other police officers.
Thai police also confirmed to the AP that they had found about 11 bodies – believed to be followers of Taui – at the campsite. The Thai Enquirer reported that Thawee’s campsite had been searched for local charges for land encroachment and COVID-19 violations before the bodies were found.
According to a report by The Bangkok Post, the bodies were placed in coffins, while the death certificates were found in only five of the bodies.
Speaking to the AP, the governor of the province of Kraysorn Kongchalad said that about a dozen people were found living with Taui in the apartment when it was searched.
“It is quite disturbing to see that there are people who believe in such superstition. But this is no longer just a matter of personal faith. We have dead bodies and we will have to work with all the agencies to establish the facts about these people.” told the AP.
The Thai news site The Nation reports that Thawee claims to be the “father of all religions”. According to the publication, a local shaman of a celebrity named Mor Pla led law enforcement to the campsite, where authorities tried to find an 80-year-old woman who visited Taui and never returned.
The daughter of the missing woman, Genjira, told The Nation that she had heard that Taui’s followers had been instructed to consume urine, mucus and feces to cure diseases.
According to The Nation, Taui’s followers told authorities at the time of his arrest that they considered him “Father” and “God” and consumed his urine and excrement in front of police.
An excerpt from a local television report on the group said a member of the group said there was no odor from human waste, claiming that “only those with a tainted mind” would smell bad.
Thawee is currently being held at the local Khon San police station, according to The Nation.
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