PUBLISHED : 4 Jul 2026 at 16:24
An alms‑giving ceremony will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima next week to honour the virtues of the 10 monks who lost their lives in a tragic crash involving a pickup truck driven by an 11‑year‑old boy with autism in Mukdahan on Thursday.
Among those killed was Phra Sakorn Tapakhuno, a 63‑year‑old monk from Korat, whose body arrived in the northeastern province on Friday night. Many monks, relatives and lay Buddhists gathered to receive him and pay their respects.
The incident, which claimed the lives of 10 monks, has deeply saddened Thailand, as a Buddhist nation, along with the monastic community and the public at large.
To express condolences and honour their virtues, The Mall Korat will host an alms‑giving ceremony dedicated to the departed monks on Tuesday, July 7, at 7.07am at the plaza in front of the department store.
The day coincides with a Buddhist holy day, and the public is invited to join.
Phra Thep Simaphorn, the province’s chief monk and abbot of Wat Bueng, will preside over the ceremony. Monks from Wat Bueng and Wat Phayap will be invited to receive alms, according to Preecha Lim‑ua, general manager of the store.
The ceremony also aims to send encouragement to monks still recovering and to families affected by the sorrowful event.
The fatal accident occurred late Thursday morning as a group of 35 monks and laymen walked in single file towards Don Tan district in Mukdahan. Five were killed instantly, while five others succumbed to their injuries at Mukdahan Hospital.
More than a dozen people were injured, three critically.