BANGKOK — A prominent Bangkok abbot has denied staging the reported theft of 23 million baht in cash and gold, despite police discovering CCTV cameras in his temple office deliberately covered with paper.
Phra Ratchawatchara Phattanatorn, 78, abbot of Mueang Temple, reported to Phetchakasem Police Station on July 1 that 10 million baht in cash and nearly 13 million baht in gold bars—claimed as his personal fortune—had been stolen.
He said he had withdrawn the funds to make merit for his birthday and to fund temple renovations. However, police found the office CCTV obscured, with the abbot admitting he covered the cameras himself to protect his privacy while changing robes.
Five individuals close to the abbot are under scrutiny, but no evidence has been found linking them to the theft. Meanwhile, monks and the public have raised concerns over the abbot’s unexplained wealth and opaque handling of temple finances.
The Anti-Corruption Division and the National Office of Buddhism are now investigating both the theft and broader financial practices at the temple.
