THE ROLE OF MONKS IN PUBLIC WELFARE UNDER THE PANDEMIC OF COVID 19 VIRUS: A CASE STUDY OF LUANG POR DAENG NANTHIYO’S ROLE, INTHARAM MONASTERY, SAMUT SONGKHRAM PROVINCE

Abstract

This article aimed to study the roles of Monks in Samut Songkhram Province. Under the paddemic situation of the Covid 19 virus: a case study of Luang Por Daeng Nanthiyo, Intharam Monastery, Samut Songkhram Province using the study of document, research papers, participatory observation and interviews from operating areas in Samut Songkhram Province. And compiled into a spatial study article. The study was found that Monks still had an important role in managing public welfare work. helping people, communities and societies under good circumstances with the reason that the monastery is the social capital and has the potential under the concept of sharing, helping (dāna), sacrifice (cāga), for benefit the public. In the case of Luang Por Daeng Nanthiyo’s role, he has given the masks, gel, food, subsistence, Pan Suk( happiness sharing) refrigerator, almshouse, to provide funds to help the people, monasteries, Monks, Government agencies, Educational institutions at the local level which are monasteries and communities and at the district of Samut Songkhram Province and national level which meaned the responsiveness to the Supreme Patriarch's policy of setting up the  almshouses to help the people and to donate supplies, foods, rice, disinfecting spray, cabinet for Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and Amphawa Hospital to support the administration under the situation of Covid 19 to get through Dhamma Dana, healing, meeting, visiting home, online Dhamma lecture was one of the roles of monks and public work in Thailand.