Police in Thailand have arrested a senior Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling $2.8m intended for his monastery, along with a woman he was filmed having sex with. The case adds to a series of scandals to hit the country’s clergy.
Phra Wachirayan Wi, the 66-year-old abbot of the 14th-century Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, was arrested on Thursday on charges including embezzlement and money laundering. A 47-year-old woman accused of helping convert and conceal the money was also detained. Leaked CCTV footage of the pair having sex on a table in the monk’s residence was widely broadcast by Thai media.
Buddhist monks take vows of celibacy and renunciation of material possessions. Police began investigating Phra Wachirayan in mid-July after receiving an anonymous tip alleging misconduct and misuse of temple funds. The lead investigator, Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, said two streams of money linked to donation receipts issued in the temple’s name had been identified: about 89m baht ($2.7m) donated for renovations and a further 2.8m baht in payments for Buddhist amulets and sacred objects. None of that money entered the temple’s account.
Authorities have seized assets worth about 215m baht, including 16kg of gold bars and jewellery and 28 land title deeds, and are investigating which belong to the temple. Wat Phutthaisawan is a prominent royal monastery with a large following that includes government officials, businesspeople, police and military personnel. The former abbot, also known as Luang Pho Atichot, was well known for making amulets, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported to be among those who wore his creations.
The arrest follows a scandal last year in which police detained a woman accused of blackmailing at least 11 monks she had sex with, extorting nearly $12m of monastery funds from them. Police said the investigation would be expanded to identify other people involved and restore public confidence in Buddhism.
