Monk’s millions: Pattaya woman busted in gambling scandal
An abbot from Nakhon Pathom was arrested for embezzlement. Police apprehend an accomplice.
A scandal mixing faith, fortune, and online gambling has rocked Thailand, as police swooped in on a Pattaya condo to arrest a young woman linked to the disgraced abbot of Rai Khing Temple.
The monk is accused of blowing more than 300 million baht of temple funds on online baccarat—and now the money trail has led straight to the resort city’s underbelly.
At around 4.30pm yesterday, May 15, officers from the Central Investigation Bureau’s Anti-Corruption Division (CIB) raided a condo on Pattaya Second Road, arresting 28 year old broker Aranyawan Wangthaphan. She was allegedly acting as a middlewoman in the gambling operation, receiving money from the monk and converting it into credit on an online gambling platform.
Aranyawan was detained with her boyfriend, who has not yet been charged. CIB officers immediately transferred her to their Bangkok headquarters for further interrogation.
Residents at the condo building remained tight-lipped when approached by reporters from The Pattaya News, with some claiming they had no idea an arrest had even occurred. Police urge anyone with relevant information to step forward as they widen the net around a gambling ring that may stretch far beyond the temple gates.
The case centres around 70 year old Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, abbot of Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom, who is accused of embezzling over 300 million baht from temple donations and assets. The funds were allegedly funnelled into his personal bank account and used to support a gambling addiction, reported The Pattaya News.
According to investigators, the temple’s accounts were nearly emptied, forcing the monk to seek high-value loans, sometimes reaching seven digits, from senior monks at other temples. His downfall came after the Crime Suppression Division received multiple complaints, sparking an eight-month investigation into the temple’s finances.
Yesterday, as police prepared to issue an arrest warrant, the abbot surrendered to the CIB in Bangkok. He has been charged with embezzlement and malfeasance in his capacity as a senior Buddhist official. The abbot has not issued a public statement since his surrender.
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