A Bangkok abbot’s claim that he lost 23 million baht in cash and gold to theft has triggered widespread public scrutiny, as questions mount over how a Buddhist monk could accumulate such personal wealth.
Phra Ratchawatchara Phattanatorn, the abbot of Mueang Temple in Bang Khae district, reported through a temple manager that 10 million baht in cash and nearly 13 million baht in gold bars had gone missing from his office. The theft was discovered on Sunday, June 29, 2025, after he returned to collect the valuables, which he said were stored in a bag inside the temple.
The police report was filed on July 1 by the temple manager, Mr. Sakda Lertritsomboon, at Phetchakasem Police Station. According to the abbot’s account, two Thai men identified as Thawatchai Khamsen and Thinnakorn Tonkaew had assisted him in withdrawing the cash from a bank the day before. He has since named the pair as possible suspects, and police are working to locate them for further questioning.
The abbot maintains that the money and gold were accumulated over the course of his monastic life and were not derived from temple donations.
While police investigate the theft, online attention has shifted to the question of how a monk, expected to live simply and without personal attachments to wealth, could amass such a fortune.
Social media commentary has been swift and critical. Many users questioned the source of the assets and suggested a review of the abbot’s financial history. Sarcastic remarks included calls for others to consider monkhood as a path to prosperity, highlighting tensions between religious expectations and public perception.
Authorities have not yet announced whether a formal financial investigation into the abbot will be launched.
