Security was beefed up at the residence of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch following a bomb scare at Bowonniwet Vihara Temple yesterday evening.

A caller claimed that an explosive device was hidden under the Khoytha Pramoj Throne in Lueng Rangsee House, where His Holiness, who is the chief abbot of the temple, usually lives.

Police have been stationed in and around the compound, which has been made off limits to outsiders.

The hoax was reportedly connected to a move to sideline a senior monk from a six-monk administrative board that has been functioning on behalf of His Holiness for the past two years while he has been medically indisposed.

Phra Thep Pariyat Wimol, a deputy abbot, said earlier he had a complaint filed at Chana Songkhram Police Station saying that representatives of the temple and His Holiness had nothing to do with a National Legislative Assembly member's attempt to seek changes in the leadership of Thai monks.

The monk, also a private secretary to His Holiness, said Bowonniwet Vihara Temple had never tried to remove Somdej Phra Phutthajarn as head of the panel.

The dispute has affected His Holiness, who has not been told of the entire matter after undergoing an operation to treat his ailments, whose details were not known.

In the complaint lodged by layman Weeraphol Yailamyong, the temple asked police to investigate who was responsible for using His Holiness's name to push for the reshuffle.

NLA member Phaisal Phuetmongkhol on Monday submitted a bill to amend regulations so that the panel leader would be selected on the basis of his seniority in the monkhood, not his ecclesiastical title.

Phaisal also sought His Holiness's approval for two commands that he said would appoint Somdej Phra Maha Theerajarn, abbot of Chana Songkhram Temple, as head of the panel while sidelining its current chief Somdej Phra Phutthajarn to an advisory post.

The deputy abbot said later that if a wrongdoer was found and he was a resident monk at the temple, he would be defrocked or asked to leave, and if he were a layman he would face criminal prosecution.

The monk said he would bring up the entire matter as an urgent agenda at today's meeting of the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC), which regulates all temples and monks across the country.

SSC spokesman Phra Thamma Kitti said it was the responsibility of the National Buddhism Office to proceed with criminal action against the wrongdoers, because the use of the Supreme Patriarch's name to push for the changes had badly tainted his virtuousness.

"Fake commands using His Holiness' name are clear indications that the move was made to create conflicts between Somdej Phra Phutthajarn and Somdej Phra Maha Theerajarn," he said without mentioning Phaisal or his efforts to seek changes.

He said both senior monks had met, discussed the matter and bore no hard feelings towards each other.

"Both of them have requested that the authorities immediately find out the facts, because misunderstandings of this nature will affect Buddhists' faith in Buddhism," he added.

Jularat Bunyakorn, acting director of the National Buddhism Office, said the two commands were not authentic and that she was certain they were not issued by her office. "It will take one week to find out where the documents were produced," she said.

Phaisal said he had not tried to resubmit the bill, after 10 NLA members reneged on their support for the bill on Wednesday. Without their backing, only 23 members were willing to sign the bill, two short of what was required for it to pass.