Monk Accused of Embezzling Temple Funds for Gambling

A senior Buddhist monk at one of Nakhon Pathom’s most prominent temples is under fire for allegedly embezzling hundreds of millions of baht to feed an online gambling habit.

The Abbot Embezzled $9M to Play Baccarat

On Thursday, the Criminal Court approved an arrest warrant for P.D.W., abbot of Wat Rai Khing, just hours after he turned himself in to authorities.

The 70-year-old monk, who also serves as the ecclesiastical governor for Region 14, reported to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok at 10 a.m. 

He was met by senior officials, including Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiart Parnkaew and Pol Maj Gen Witthaya Sriprasertparp of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD).

By midday, the Criminal Court had signed off on the arrest warrant, following a review of the evidence gathered during a months-long investigation. 

Police allege the abbot diverted at least 300 million baht ($9.06 million) from temple funds into his personal bank account to gamble on online baccarat.

The investigation began after authorities received a tip-off about suspicious money movements tied to the temple. 

CSD officers launched an undercover probe, placing an officer at the temple for eight months. What they uncovered raised serious red flags: financial records revealed a staggering flow of cash moving from Wat Rai Khing’s accounts into the abbot’s personal one, then onto gambling platforms.

Investigators say the monk worked through the temple’s own management committee to facilitate the transfers. 

A Female Broker Routed the Funds

Funds were reportedly routed through a female broker, who funneled the money into online betting websites. Total transactions tied to the abbot’s personal account are estimated to exceed 500 million baht ($15.1 million).

As temple coffers ran dry, the abbot is said to have sought loans from other senior monks, borrowing anywhere from 100,000 to 1 million baht ($3,000 to $30,000).

Authorities have identified the broker as 28-year-old A.W., who was arrested Thursday evening at a residence in Pattaya after police traced a 100 million baht transfer from the temple’s account to hers. W. had previously been detained in connection with the gambling site LaGalaxy911.

The temple, which is well-known for drawing donations from all across the country, is also one of Thailand’s most financially supported religious sites. 

For now, P.D.W. remains in his monastic robes, though his status may change as court proceedings unfold.