Monk arrested for fleeing rape charges involving 14 year old
Police intercepted the former soldier turned monk at a Surat Thani bank before his planned transfer to central Thailand.
A Buddhist monk was arrested in Surat Thani province after fleeing charges of sexually assaulting a 14 year old girl. Police apprehended the suspect just as he was preparing to relocate to another temple to evade capture.
Police Lieutenant General Pornsak Laorujiralai, Commander of the Tourist Police Bureau, ordered the arrest operation, which was led by Police Colonel Phakapol Suchon. The team apprehended 24 year old Watchara outside a bank in Surat Thani province today, November 10.
The arrest follows a warrant issued by Chaiya Provincial Court on August 6. Watchara faces charges of statutory rape, committing indecent acts against a minor under 15 years old, and using deception or force to take another person for immoral purposes.
The incident occurred in June 2024 when Watchara was serving as a conscripted soldier at a military base. During a period of leave, he frequently spent time with friends near a school in Chaiya district, where he met the victim, a secondary school student.
KhaoSod reported that Watchara befriended the girl and eventually persuaded her to skip school. He then took her to a resort where he sexually assaulted her.
After the assault, the girl’s parents discovered what had happened and filed a police report. Investigators tracked Watchara’s movements and learned he had been ordained as a monk at a temple in Surat Thani province. Police received intelligence that he was planning to transfer to a temple in central Thailand before making the arrest.
During questioning, Watchara confessed to the charges but claimed the girl went with him voluntarily and that he did not use force. Police transferred him to Chaiya Police Station for further legal proceedings.
In a similar story, in Phichit province, a visiting forest monk has been accused of sexually abusing three schoolboys. The allegations surfaced after a teacher noticed unusual behaviour among students. One child was reportedly treated for a sexually transmitted infection.
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