Police search Wat Rai Khing for suspect luxury vehicle

By Somkid Phrommee 
The Nation

 

 

Counter-Corruption Division officers searched Nakhon Pathom's famous Wat Rai Khing on Tuesday morning after a tip-off about a luxury car that might have been linked to the temple fund embezzlement scandal.

 

CCD investigation superintendent Pol Colonel Panya Klaprasert, and his deputy Pol Colonel Athikhom Apichayanukulkij, led the team at 7.30am to search a large monks’ residence building where the luxury car was believed to be kept. It was suspected that the vehicle had been bought with money embezzled by National Office of Buddhism officials. 

 

Abbot assistant Phra Rattanasuthee (Ruam Kloy-arun) demanded to see the credentials of the officers before leading them to inspect a Bt1.95 million Mercedes-Benz Vito van, a Toyota van, a Chevrolet sedan, and a Mercedes-Benz S280 sedan. 

 

The first three vehicles were registered under Phra Rattanasuthee's name while the fourth was registered to his 45-year-old chauffeur, Wanchai Jindawong.

 

Phra Rattanasuthee told the officers that the vehicles had been bought legally and donated for the temple's use by devout disciples. He said the Mercedes-Benz S280 sedan was put under Wanchai's name for convenience in renewing car registration and other documents. 

 

The monk also agreed to give further information at the CCD office on Friday.

 

Wanchai said police might be looking for a black van that someone at the National Office of Buddhism had sent to the temple for use on a trial basis three years ago. 

He said that vehicle broke down on the first day of use and it was sent back.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30338748

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-2-13

There is no problem  here at all: the luxury vehicle was merely 'lent' by an unnamed person who is now deceased.

 

Well, the excuse worked for Prawit  ...!

58 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"led the team at 7.30am to search a large monks’ residence"

Just how big was this monk? I think he must be a 'pu-yai'.

Ah, maybe the monks at this temple could teach those elusive foreigners down on Samui about the sanctity of Buddhism. Wonder if the locals will be outraged by luxury cars being used by these holy of holy men. 

 It was suspected that the vehicle had been bought with money embezzled by National Office of Buddhism officials. 

 

 

The first three vehicles were registered under Phra Rattanasuthee's name while the fourth was registered to his 45-year-old chauffeur, Wanchai Jindawong.

 

Phra Rattanasuthee told the officers that the vehicles had been bought legally and donated for the temple's use by devout disciples. He said the Mercedes-Benz S280 sedan was put under Wanchai's name for convenience in renewing car registration and other documents. 

 

    

            "for convenience in renewing car registration and other documents."  You can't make this up, can you? Innit?

 

      A relative of the Sisaket monks? Buddha always told others who were on their way to enlightenment to drive Benz and to use helicopters/Learjets. 

Edited February 13, 20188 yr by jenny2017

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

"....while the fourth was registered to his 45-year-old chauffeur, Wanchai Jindawong".

Even the chauffeur gets in on the action on the thievery that goes on within the temples.

Couldn't help but ask myself some questions the other day when flying from Udon Thani to BKK. It strikes home when you see it in "real time".

There they were, all seven of them sitting in the reserved lounge armchairs at the boarding gate. Playing with their smartphones and touchpads. On the plane they perched in the Premium seats all wearing their fashion sunglasses.

And this funded by the devoted poor in the local villages.There may be a few good ones but how I detest these cockroaches.

25 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Even the chauffeur gets in on the action on the thievery that goes on within the temples.

Couldn't help but ask myself some questions the other day when flying from Udon Thani to BKK. It strikes home when you see it in "real time".

There they were, all seven of them sitting in the reserved lounge armchairs at the boarding gate. Playing with their smartphones and touchpads. On the plane they perched in the Premium seats all wearing their fashion sunglasses.

And this funded by the devoted poor in the local villages.There may be a few good ones but how I detest these cockroaches.

Time Rentokil were brought in for a cockroach extermination campaign. 

 

13 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Even the chauffeur gets in on the action on the thievery that goes on within the temples.

Couldn't help but ask myself some questions the other day when flying from Udon Thani to BKK. It strikes home when you see it in "real time".

There they were, all seven of them sitting in the reserved lounge armchairs at the boarding gate. Playing with their smartphones and touchpads. On the plane they perched in the Premium seats all wearing their fashion sunglasses.

And this funded by the devoted poor in the local villages.There may be a few good ones but how I detest these cockroaches.

Agree absolutely.

Having said that, I've only seen those 'cockroaches' in news articles, never in real life. I obviously need to get out more. Or buy the I Spy Book of Dodgy Monks.

 

Looks like flying could be the method of choice to spot one (or more) of these, after all the first one I can remember about was on a private flight with all that material crap I assume they should ideally renounce.

 

He's the one who in time-honoured tradition ran away abroad - to the US, now fighting extradition back to Thailand. Couldn't have been able to push the envelope far enough across the Atlantic to reach the correct recipient.

2 hours ago, Cadbury said:

There they were, all seven of them sitting in the reserved lounge armchairs at the boarding gate.

I am handicapped and use a wheelchair but get left to wait at the Gate until the attendant returns to escort me to the plane.  If people are seated in the area where the seats are reserved for people who are elderly, handicapped, pregnant, etc., I always point out their error and ask them to move.  A couple of times, there have been "monks" taking advantage of these seats and they have been asked to move so that I could be seated.  When they refuse, as they do sometimes, I point out the reserved and handicapped signs and they are told that they are abusing their position.  If that does not work, and it usually does, then the gate staff are informed of their behaviour.  If that person fails to take action the supervisor is informed about that check-in member and the trouble of not being able to sit in the reserved seat.  These people are treated as if they area deity and not the hypocrites they really are.  I usually end up getting my seat after causing the "monks" discomfort and inconvenience.  I do not care because I am incapacitated and being inconvenienced by their selfish behaviour.

 

Edited February 13, 20188 yr by wotsdermatter

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Bt1.95 million Mercedes-Benz Vito van, a Toyota van, a Chevrolet sedan, and a Mercedes-Benz S280 sedan. 

whatever happened to slippers? Ah, progress...

Is the VITO van really only 1.9 million or was it second-hand?. Last list price I saw was over 2.9 million.