Four other defendants were each sentenced to eight years in prison by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, reports the Bangkok Post - a woman, Aranyawan “Sika Gen” Wangthapan, former monk Ekkapot Phukang, and a married couple, Patcharaporn, known as Toey, and Chief Petty Officer First Class Chatchai Si-liang.
They were convicted and sentenced in cases of fraud involving more than B2 billion of temple funds, according to reports.
The 70-year-old ex-abbot, also referred to as “Tid Yaem”, was convicted of malfeasance and embezzlement as a state official, while the others were found guilty of aiding him.
The four defendants who received shorter sentences said they would appeal.
The case unfolded in May 2025 after plainclothes police investigators spent eight months observing irregularities at the popular temple in Sam Phran district, following a complaint of embezzlement reported to the Crime Suppression Division.
Police found out that Tid Yaem, who was then Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, had the temple committe transfer large sums of money from its bank account to his personal account. It was then transferred to Aranyawan’s account. The embezzled funds were found to have been used for online gambling.
On May 15 last year, Tid Yaem turned himself in as police prepared to seek a warrant for his arrest. He was disrobed later that day, and he and Aranyawan were remanded in custody two days later.
Direct transfers to Aranyawan’s account were also made by former monk Ekkapot, a close aide of the then-abbot. The couple who were sentenced were responsible for managing vendor rental fees during temple fairs. They were found to have also handled embezzled money for Tid Yaem.
The case is just one among a string of temple scandals involving senior monks nationwide that emerged last year.