Monk arrested for allegedly embezzling $9 million from temple in Thailand
Thai police have arrested a Buddhist monk over allegations he embezzled more than $9 million from the prominent temple he ran which was funded by donations from devotees.
Investigators from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) accuse Abbot Phra Thammachiranuwat from Wat Rai Khing of siphoning more than 300 million baht ($9.05 million) from the temple's bank account into his own.
Investigators traced funds from the temple on Bangkok's western outskirts to an illegal online gambling network running baccarat card games, local media said.
Temples in Buddhist-majority Thailand rely heavily on income from "merit-making" ceremonies where worshippers make donations in hopes of gaining good fortune and better reincarnation.
Police charged Phra Thammachiranuwat with corruption and malfeasance, CIB deputy commissioner Jaroonkiat Pankaew told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
"This (arrest) is to help purify our religion," Jaroonkiat said.
Authorities have arrested a second suspect and are investigating whether others were involved, while local media reported the abbot has now left the monkhood.
Wat Rai Khing, believed to have been founded in 1851, houses a replica of the Buddha's footprint.
Buddhist monks make merit during the Visakha Bucha Day or Vesak Day celebrations at Wat Dhammakaya Buddhist temple in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok on May 11, 2025.
LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images
The arrest from one of the Bangkok suburb's most prominent temples has triggered significant backlash on social media.
"Next time I will donate to a hospital or school for good causes, not a temple," one user posted on social media.
Others cautioned their fellow Buddhists to remain firm in their faith.
"Not all monks are bad. Don't generalize," another social media user wrote.
Buddhist temples in Thailand have made headlines for unusual reasons before. Last November, Thai police launched an investigation of a Buddhist monastery after authorities discovered 41 bodies on site which were allegedly used for meditation practices.
In 2022, every single monk at a Buddhist temple in central Thailand was defrocked after they tested positive for methamphetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Manteca man pleads guilty to embezzling $1.4 million from Modesto employer
A Manteca man who worked as an IT director for a Modesto-based fuel company pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling more than $1.4 million from his employer over nearly six years, federal prosecutors said. Justin Alexander Payne, 50, admitted to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. Prosecutors said Payne worked for a family-owned, Modesto-based fuel supplier, distributor and retailer from December 2017 to September 2023. The company was not named in court records. During the time of his employment, Payne used a company-issued credit card to make thousands of unauthorized purchases of retail gift cards and personal items, including clothing, sports equipment and home improvement products. To convert the gift cards into cash, Payne sold them to online businesses that specialize in reselling unwanted cards at discounted values. Investigators said those businesses processed more than 3,700 gift card transactions connected to Payne, followed by payouts to him. Federal prosecutors said Payne tried to conceal his actions by falsifying receipts and expense reports to make the purchases appear as if they were for legitimate IT equipment. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Modesto Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting. Payne is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Oct. 16. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, though the actual sentence will be determined by the court in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines.
Wall Street Journal
8 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Republican Sleaze, Democratic Slump
I want to attempt a sort of bird's-eye view of both parties as we enter the first summer of the Trump administration. For the Republicans, the headline is moving forward on various Trump policies (immigration, trade, budget) that, in the aggregate, have sparked neither widespread support nor overwhelming alarm. It's all wait and see. The fate of the budget bill will seriously impact the president's standing—'Magic Man pulled it off,' or 'Whoa, he lost and is hobbled.' Underlying all this is an air of unusual corruption. I don't know of any precedent. Charges of influence peddling, access peddling—$TRUMP coins, real-estate deals in foreign countries, cash for dinners with the president, a pardon process involving big fees for access to those in the president's orbit, $28 million for the first lady to participate in a biographical documentary, the Trump sons' plan to open a private club in Washington with a reported $500,000 membership fee—those are only some of the items currently known. The Journal this week reported major donors to the inauguration benefiting from early government actions. In April the administration put enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act on hold, pulling back on cases involving charges of foreign bribery, public corruption, and money laundering. 'In some cases the administration is effectively redefining what business conduct constitutes a crime,' the Journal noted. All this is establishing the character of the administration in a way Americans simply won't respect over the long term. It will no doubt continue, grow more garish with time, and become a major national scandal.
News24
14 hours ago
- News24
Ahee, Papa Penny, ahee! MKP MP lightens up Safa's appearance in Parliament
Screenshot The attempted grilling of Safa by Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) MP and musician Gezani Kobane, popularly known as Papa Penny, during the association's appearance before the parliamentary portfolio committee for sport on Tuesday left many South Africans in stitches. The musician-turned-politician asked Safa chief financial officer (CFO) Gronie Hluyo why he was still in the employ of Safa when he was facing serious charges of fraud and corruption while other staff members had already faced discipline and suspension. Reading his prepared question, Papa Penny was the talking point after the meeting. Some people called for Parliament to have translators and allow members to speak in their own languages.
