Abbot of renowned Nakhon Pathom temple arrested over alleged 300m baht embezzlement

The Criminal Court on Thursday approved an arrest warrant for the abbot of a well-known temple in Nakhon Pathom, shortly after the monk voluntarily turned himself in to face allegations of embezzling 300 million baht to fund online gambling.

Arrest Warrant Issued for Wat Rai Khing Abbot

The warrant was issued against Phra Dharma Wachiranuwat, abbot of Wat Rai Khing, at noon — just hours after he reported to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) headquarters in Bangkok at 10 a.m.

Phra Dharma Wachiranuwat also serves as the governor of Ecclesiastical Region 14. He was received by Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiart Parnkaew, Deputy Commissioner of the CIB, and Pol Maj Gen Witthaya Sriprasertparp, Commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), along with other CIB officers.

Monk Accused of Using Temple Funds for Online Gambling

Police reported that the respected monk was accused of embezzling at least 300 million baht from temple funds, which he allegedly transferred to his personal account to play online baccarat.

The CSD’s Subdivision 5 began an investigation after receiving a tip-off regarding suspicious financial activity. An undercover officer was deployed to the temple for eight months to gather evidence.

The abbot claimed he turned himself in after learning that an arrest warrant was being sought, in order to deny the allegations. However, after reviewing the evidence presented by CIB investigators, the Criminal Court approved the warrant.

The abbot is expected to be released on bail later in the day. Being a senior monk, the abbot has not yet been defrocked, pending formal court proceedings.

Money Allegedly Funnelled Through Temple Committee and Gambling Broker

Investigators allege the abbot instructed the temple’s management committee to transfer funds from the temple’s account to his personal bank account. From there, he reportedly transferred the money to a female broker, who credited it to his online gambling account.

A review of bank records from 2021 to the present revealed over 300 million baht in transfers from the temple’s accounts. The abbot’s personal account was also linked to online gambling websites with total financial circulation of approximately 500 million baht.

Senior Monks Also Loaned Money to Wat Rai Khing abbot

According to police sources, the abbot also borrowed between 100,000 and 1 million baht from senior monks after temple funds began to run low.

The female broker involved, who is connected to the gambling network LaGalaxy911, was arrested late last year and later released on bail.

Wat Rai Khing a Major Recipient of Nationwide Donations

Wat Rai Khing is widely known and receives significant donations from Buddhist followers nationwide, contributing to the large sums allegedly embezzled.

This evening, officers from the CIB arrested Aranyawan, the woman alleged to have acted as a gambling broker for the abbot of Wat Rai Khing. She was apprehended at a residence in Pattaya after investigators traced a transfer of 100 million baht from the temple’s account to her personal account.

She is currently being brought in for questioning at the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Division.