Thai Ex-Abbot Receives 50-Year Sentence for Temple Embezzlement

Surely a couple of wai's, a few incense sticks, and a temple donation should have been enough to sort it out.

11 hours ago, Artisi said:

Surely a couple of wai's, a few incense sticks, and a temple donation should have been enough to sort it out.

I suspect penance in a temple would not be an idea!

This is absolutely fantastic news.

That's serious amounts of money in just one temple, I can understand why Thai people are turning against making donations to the temples, My wife and her e friends have stopped

Glad they got caught and I hope they really start looking into all Temples now.

The amounts of money involved are staggering..

I see poor people everyday supporting the monks and the temples.

The corruption invioving millions is not uncommon in Thai temples. Poor people may rethink and perhaps consider their generosity is misplaced.

Monks behaving badly, what's new?

Could it be that some people thought that allowing the monks to win at gambling was a form of merit making?

I guess they are going to start auditing all the larger Wat's finances and start taking this seriously.

Some are so desperate and hopeless they give money they don't have to spare in hopes of it bringing them good luck and fortune in the future. Truly sad. Maybe it should be required that each Wat must give X percentage of the donations to multiple organizations and charities.

I wonder how 2 Billion compares to the level of corruption elsewhere? Not condoning a single baht of course.

What do these gods do with all the money people give to temples , churches etc ??

Amazing how so many think a superior entity needs cash and lots of it 🤔

Although I'm pretty sure a lot in this country go to temples etc in hope of winning the lottery which has some of worst odds going for a lottery.

1 hour ago, nausea said:

Monks behaving badly, what's new?

Great idea for a televised program, the Thai version of men behaving badly, not quite morrissey but comical to say the least. That amount of cash in any society is huge, but in Thailand that is astronomical. Funded by the local community is far fetched as they do not have that type of readies. I smell a huge scandal cover up by officials, and unfortunately the Thai's pick up the bill! Democracy showing its communist face at it's finest. I wonder if they dig deeper, the real truth comes out? i doubt it! Anyway, 50 years for a coverup sounds excellent to the involved parties.

5 hours ago, ChipButty said:

That's serious amounts of money in just one temple, I can understand why Thai people are turning against making donations to the temples, My wife and her e friends have stopped

There are plenty of worthy and deserving people and causes to donate to. This is an example of why I don't give to any "religious" institution or to any organization that I am not thoroughly familiar with. I'm happy to feed the local homeless guys here with a few hundred baht here and there.

...Huh...(?)

...Take 2 Billion...Pay Back 28 Million...(?)

Spend THB2 billion from Wat Rai Khing temple funds. with a mandate to repay THB28 million.... That's a pretty good payday ... Must've been a fat time in the old town when he was in his prime

44 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

There are plenty of worthy and deserving people and causes to donate to. This is an example of why I don't give to any "religious" institution or to any organization that I am not thoroughly familiar with. I'm happy to feed the local homeless guys here with a few hundred baht here and there.

I donate to the single mother's association of Pattaya one girl at a time

All i known is that many monks have done similar and the thais do give generous food and money to them at temples.A friend in cnx wanted funds for a toilet in the temple and she asked everyone.Don,t know how much was raised

20 hours ago, ronster said:

What do these gods do with all the money people give to temples , churches etc ??

Amazing how so many think a superior entity needs cash and lots of it 🤔

Although I'm pretty sure a lot in this country go to temples etc in hope of winning the lottery which has some of worst odds going for a lottery.

It's usually slated for the lead on the roof that keeps getting nicked.

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It's usually slated for the lead on the roof that keeps getting nicked.

Pikeys !!

On 4/21/2026 at 7:43 PM, ChipButty said:

That's serious amounts of money in just one temple, I can understand why Thai people are turning against making donations to the temples, My wife and her e friends have stopped

Check out wat dhammakaya in pathum thani.