Couple arrested for embezzlement in Thai temple fair scandal
Thai man and woman stole temple fair funds, passed them to detained abbot
A financial scandal has rocked Wat Rai Khing temple in Nakhon Pathom, with a couple linked to the former abbot arrested over a massive embezzlement scheme involving the temple’s annual fair auction.
The investigation has revealed an astonishing web of corruption, money laundering, and online gambling worth hundreds of millions of baht.
Police detained Patcharaporn “Toey” and 32 year old Chief Petty Officer First Class Chatchai Si-liang at a Buddhist scout camp in Sam Phran district yesterday afternoon, May 29. The Crime Suppression Division and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Police led the operation after uncovering more than 2 billion baht funnelled through 84 bank accounts.
The couple managed vendor rental fees at the temple’s popular fair but allegedly siphoned off the funds and passed them to the 70 year old former abbot, Phra Dhammavachiranuvat (Yaem Kittintharo), who is now in custody facing multiple charges. The charges include aiding misappropriation of state assets, public office misconduct, fraud, and joint money laundering.
Adding to the scandal, former monk Ekkapot Phukang—already imprisoned for online gambling—has also been implicated, with police seeking an arrest warrant to prosecute him further.
On May 15, Phra Dhammavachiranuvat appeared at the Central Investigation Bureau to assert his innocence, accompanied by monks and his legal team. In a meeting with senior police officials, including Deputy Commissioner Major General Jaroonkiat Pankaew, the abbot expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with the investigation.
The probe began after complaints surfaced alleging that the abbot embezzled funds to finance online gambling activities. Undercover agents infiltrated the temple for over eight months, confirming that temple funds were diverted through a complex scheme: money was transferred from the temple’s accounts to the abbot’s account, then to a woman acting as a gambling network broker, who moved the cash to baccarat gambling sites.
Financial records from 2021 onwards revealed over 300 million baht transferred to the abbot’s account, with an additional 500 million baht linked to various gambling networks. As the temple’s funds depleted, the abbot allegedly borrowed large sums from senior monks at other temples, with loans ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of baht, reported Bangkok Post.
The gambling broker plays a central role, coordinating the financial routes for several online gambling businesses tied to the scandal.
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