Thai abbot arrested in US$2.8mil embezzlement, sex scandal

Thai police arrested a senior Buddhist monk on Friday for allegedly embezzling US$2.8 million and having a sexual relationship with a woman, according to lead investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan. The case highlights ongoing issues of financial misconduct within Thailand's Buddhist clergy. Phra Wachirayan Wi, the 66-year-old abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan temple in Ayutthaya, was charged with embezzlement and money laundering.

A 47-year-old woman was also arrested for allegedly assisting in converting and concealing the stolen funds. Leaked CCTV footage shows the pair having sex in the abbot's residence. Police launched their investigation in mid-July after receiving an anonymous tip about misconduct and misuse of temple funds. They found that 89 million baht (US$2.69 million) donated for renovations and 2.8 million baht for sacred objects did not enter the temple's account.

Authorities seized assets worth about 215 million baht, including gold bars, jewelry, and land deeds. The case is the latest in a series of scandals involving Buddhist monks in Thailand, following a 2020 case in which a woman allegedly blackmailed and extorted nearly US$12 million from 11 monks. The abbot, known for making amulets, was defrocked following his arrest.