Police probe Phra Phromsuthi's death from suicide



BANGKOK: -- Police are investigating the recent death of the former abbot of Wat Saket to determine the possibility that he may not have committed suicide.

Pol Lt-Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, the acting metropolitan police commissioner, was assigned by the national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaichinda, to head the investigation.

The police chief said on Wednesday that he would not rule out any possibilities even though the autopsy confirmed that the senior monk, Phra Phromsuthi or Chaokhun Sanoh, died of suffocation as a result that his neck was pressed.

He said that police had to be meticulous and would explore aspects that might have resulted to the monk’s death. He said that there were some leads which require further probe but he declined to elaborate.

Meanwhile Pol Maj-Gen Songpol Wattanachai, commander of the 6th division of metropolitan police bureau, said that the autopsy report and examination of the evidences at the crime scene indicated that the monk was not murdered but died of suffocation.

He, however, said that he had to wait for detailed report of the investigation before it could be ascertained about the actual cause of the death.

Phra Phromsuthi is under investigation about the use of 64 million baht fund in the arrangements of the funeral of the late acting supreme patriarch, Somdet Kiew.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148413


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-28

Phra Phromsuthi is under investigation about the use of 64 million baht fund in the arrangements of the funeral of the late acting supreme patriarch, Somdet Kiew.

Is anyone to be trusted in this place nowadays? What is going so wrong?

It seems that Purging and elimination of controversial, unsavory and problematic figures has become the

preferred method to deal with problems once and for all.....

Phra Phromsuthi is under investigation about the use of 64 million baht fund in the arrangements of the funeral of the late acting supreme patriarch, Somdet Kiew.

Is anyone to be trusted in this place nowadays? What is going so wrong?

Here's a part answer, many things that were previously hidden are now starting to be flushed out.

Will it all be flushed out by tomorrow?

No of course not, the flushing will probably slowly pick up speed and then be a flood.

Phra Phromsuthi is under investigation about the use of 64 million baht fund in the arrangements of the funeral of the late acting supreme patriarch, Somdet Kiew.

Is anyone to be trusted in this place nowadays? What is going so wrong?

Here's a part answer, many things that were previously hidden are now starting to be flushed out.

Will it all be flushed out by tomorrow?

No of course not, the flushing will probably slowly pick up speed and then be a flood.

Exactly. Nothing new about corruption and crime in organised religion. Or in any type of human organisation, for that matter. I was just reading how kings used to bribe the priests at the Oracle of Delphi to get favourable decisions and prophesies... Ain't human nature interesting?

...duhhh.....missing money suggests other people were involved........

...duhhh.....missing money suggests other people were involved........

.. and the fact that he " ied of suffocation as a result that his neck was pressed..." seems to bear that out. (although murder is not the main suspected motive )

Police Investigate Former ‘Golden Mount’ Abbot’s Death as Suspicious
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Photo: Jason Eppink / Flickr

BANGKOK — Days after a former abbot of the famed Golden Mount Temple was found hanged in his room, police now say the monk could have been murdered.

The investigation into the death of Phra Phromsuthi, who was once probed for misusing 64 million baht in state funds, was announced Thursday by the commander of Royal Thai Police, who described the monk’s death as “suspicious.”

“We found some suspicious clues that need further investigation, but I cannot yet disclose details to you,” commander Chakthip Chaijinda told reporters yesterday. “Please give some time for the Metropolitan Police to work on this. I believe there would be progress by Jan. 29.”

He said he has ordered police to “thoroughly investigate both evidence found at the scene and CCTV footage in the area. They have to investigate every dimension of this case in detail before they can conclude the true cause.”

Temple staff notified police on Monday that Phra Phromsuthi, 58, was found hanged in his monk residence at Wat Saket, aka Golden Mount Temple, in Bangkok’s historic quarters. Police initially said the former abbot committed suicide.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453956544

-- Khaosod English 2016-01-28

As I had thought and mentioned on another forum I believed that murder was involved!

Nice to know that occasionally even in Thailand the police consider options other than suicide.

It seems that Purging and elimination of controversial, unsavory and problematic figures has become the

preferred method to deal with problems once and for all.....

THB64 x c.50 = c.£1.28M

He's being killed so he can't speak about where the money's gone. I don't think his 'suicidedness' is going to make anything better as a genuine suicide would only be an admission of guilt. Of course as no one will ever bother auditing the disbursements---which would be incredibly easy to do---this will bring the matter to a close, most likely.

In grand patriarchal terms, it seems like they've been a bit tight, wherever the money ended up.

I hope they had regency on sale at the receptions, and not just Hong Thong, but as long as it wasn't Blend, I won't lose any sleep over it.

nothing changes in the passage of time , an abbot commits suicide will it turn out to be murder most foul the sum of 64 million baht is mentioned obviously other people are involved how will it end we will have to wait and see.