Bangkok police have detained a Buddhist monk over allegations that he allegedly extorted more than$ 9 million from the well-known temple he owned and that he had been paid by devotees. Abbot Phra Thammachiranuwat from Wat Rai Khing is accused of siphoning more than 300 million baht ($ 9.05 million ) from the temple’s bank account into his own by Central Bureau ( CIB ) investigators. According to local media reports, investigators found money flowing from the church on Bangkok’s eastern suburbs to an illegitimate online gambling platform that offered baccarat card games. In Thailand, where there are many Buddhist communities, people heavily rely on donations from “merit-making” festivities to obtain good fortune and better resurrection. At a press event on Thursday, CIB assistant director Jaroonkiat Pankaew said that the government had charged Phra Thammachiranuwat with fraud and wrongdoing. According to Jaroonkiat,” This arrest is meant to help clean our religion.” Local media reported that the abbot has since left the monkhood, while authorities have arrested a minute think and are looking into whether people were behind it. The copy of the Buddha’s footprints is located in Wat Rai Khing, which is thought to have been established in 1851. Significant reaction has been emitted on social media as a result of the arrest at one of Bangkok’s most well-known temples. One consumer posted on the social media platform X,” Next time, I’ll contribute to a hospital or school for great causes, hardly a temple.” Another urged their fellow Monks to maintain a strong belief. Not all priests are terrible, they say. Don’t make generalizations, wrote another X users.
