Buddhist monk arrested in Thailand for embezzling $3 million in monastery funds

Thai police have arrested the former abbot of the Wat Phuttaisawan Buddhist monastery on charges of misappropriating donations and temple revenues.

According to the BBC, the damage caused by the activities of Abbot Phra Wachirayan Wi is estimated at 92–100 million baht (about $3 million). Immediately after his arrest he was defrocked and will now stand trial as an ordinary citizen.

The investigation showed that Phra Wachirayan Wi had, for at least two years, regularly appropriated donations, as well as proceeds from the sale of Buddhist amulets and other sacred objects.

In addition, the abbot was in a sexual relationship with 47-year-old Punyawi Rungrueang. Video recordings of intimate scenes with this woman were kept in his house. According to investigators, Punyawi Rungrueang was the abbot's accomplice and helped him launder the illegally obtained funds.

During searches, cash, gold bars, jewelry and land documents were discovered at the homes of the former abbot and his accomplice. The total value of the assets found is estimated at approximately $6.4 million.

The woman was also arrested and is awaiting trial on charges of aiding and abetting and embezzlement. Law enforcement authorities believe that another two or three people may be involved in the couple's crimes.

The former abbot faces a lengthy prison term, up to life imprisonment, as well as the complete confiscation of his property.

Police tracked down the abbot and his girlfriend after an anonymous tip received in mid-July 2026. A year earlier, law enforcement agencies had opened a hotline for reports of "unbecoming behavior" by monks. This happened after a scandal involving the sexual relations of nine Buddhist monks with one woman.