Chon Buri: – A Buddhist monk has pleaded for the return of Bt400, 000 in religious donations stolen from WatNok, Phothong Road, Mueang Chon Buri district.

PhraKruSophitKitjanukul said the perpetrator should repent because the stolen cash was meant for the construction of abodes for monks.

Based on his statement to police, the monk said a young man, aged 25 to 29, had asked for permission to spend a night at the temple in order to wait and meet a relative the next morning.

He said he vaguely remembered the man as the one who sought the temple’s shelter last year. He then allowed him to sleep in a building’s hallway.

He forgot, however, to check the man’s identification card.

Early morning after walking the alms round, he found his office burgled and the man had disappeared.

The stolen valuables include the cash and hundreds of Buddhist amulets and statues, he said.

He said the cash was donated by 54 temples located in Chon Burito help in the construction of monk’s abodes at another temple in Ban Bueng district.

He was in charge to collecting and keeping the donated funds on behalf of the provincial chief monk.

Commenting on the incident, Police Lt Colonel SantiChucherd, deputy superintendent of Chon Buri, said investigators were checking all leads.

The security cameras installed inside the temple had malfunctioned, he said.

There was only one security camera footage recorded on the temple’s grounds. It showed an unidentified man climbing over the temple’s wall.

Can't imagine any person especially Buddhist with even a little respect and fear would do such a thing from the temple.

Then again greed has no ethics .

The opportunity was there and he took it. Maybe he thought like myself and figured the monks would piss it away on Chinese dragons, big titty lady trolls or five headed dragons that have no bearing on Buddhism and are actually forbidden by the Buddha. This guy hopefully is using the money to help his family and maybe build a future for himself. You can be very sure that if he had of asked for financial assistance from the Wat, he would have been shown the road.

It was an opportunity and he took it. I have no sympathy for any religious sect that has more money than they need. As for spending it on monks quarters, was it needed for setting all the rooms up for Wi-Fi or maybe for new air conditioners or maybe bigger flat screen TV's ?

Most likely the funds came from corrupt, evil basterds making merit for their crimes which temples readily accept. For those of you who think I am wrong, think on. There is a temple in Bangkok that will take debit/credit cards online so people can make merit without actually coming to the temple.

This smells like the monk took the money and concocted a story that can neither be proven or disproved.

Well this guy just hit an all time low stealing from a temple

Do they have any proof the visitor stole the money?

Could be a convienient smoke screen.

"The security cameras installed inside the temple had malfunctioned"

Coincidence or deliberate?

I guess the monk was waiting until the pot got to four million before beginning abode construction. thequietman is right about one thing. Thais can never expect any financial or any other kind of help from these guys. It is a one way street.

Edited February 17, 201511 yr by Pimay1

Predictable lack of sympathy / trust for the monkhood, temple financiers.

I lived in temples around Lopburi for 7 years, and never seen any security camera's at any of the temples. We once built some new monks huts at our temple in Khok Samrong. I estimated it was costing approx. 80,000 per hut. So, 400,000 would have been enough for 5 huts. Reasonable.

Malfunctioned cameras didnt check identity have they checked under each of their robes!!!!!!

They will have to charge foreiners 10 fold now to enter the temple!!!

Was it a monk jumping the wall, my money is on the monk did it

Do they have any proof the visitor stole the money?

Could be a convienient smoke screen.

Monk's screen