Thai Buddhist Monk Arrested in $3M Embezzlement and Sex‑Scandal
In a shock to the Buddhist community of Ayutthaya, Phra Wachirayan Wi, a former abbot of the 14th‑century Wat Phutthaisawan, has been detained by Thai police. Authorities say he siphoned more than 100 million baht—roughly $3 million—into personal coffers over two years on over twenty separate occasions.
During a night‑time raid on his home, officers seized cash, gold bars and jewellery worth over 100 million baht. Video footage taken from CCTV also showed the monk engaging in a sexual act with a woman who may have been an accomplice in the theft.
The female—identified as 47‑year‑old Punyavee Rungrueang—has been arrested on charges of aiding a state official with illicit activities. She had reportedly handled large sums from the monk’s embezzled funds via her bank accounts. Her household was found to contain 35 gold amulets, gold bars and jewellery valued at 6.04 million baht.
Thai monks customarily take vows of celibacy and renounce material wealth, and the monk was stripped of his clerical status after his arrest. He has not yet issued a public comment.
This new arrest follows a 2025 scandal where nine senior monks were recorded in sexual trysts with a woman who later blackmailed them for about $12 million. In response, the police opened a hotline for the public to report misbehaving monks.
Investigators say the monk had issued donation receipts for temple renovations and for sacramental amulets, but neither stream of money entered the temple’s official account. They are probing whether two or three more people may be involved.
The case has raised questions about the enforcement of civil and moral codes within Thailand’s Buddhist institutions and the broader challenges of corruption in religious settings.
