A Thai Buddhist monk, 66-year-old Phra Wachirayan Wi, was caught on CCTV having sex with his lover inside a temple and later confessed to a two-year relationship. Police discovered assets including cash, jewellery, and gold worth £5 million, implicating the monk in embezzlement and money laundering charges. The scandal has sparked public outrage and raised concerns over temple finances in Thailand.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
A Thai monk caught having sex with his lover inside his temple has confessed to their two-year relationship, as police uncover a haul of cash, jewellery and gold worth £5million.
asserted
police → catch → cash
Footage showing Phra Wachirayan Wi, the 66-year-old Buddhist abbot of the 14th-century temple Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, having sex on a table in his residence was widely broadcast on Thai media last week.
asserted
Wi → show → media
He was arrested on Thursday on charges including embezzlement and money laundering, according to lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, alongside the 47-year-old woman he was caught having sex with.
uncertain
he → arrest → sex
She has been accused of helping convert and conceal the money, which was intended for the monk's monastery.
asserted
which → accuse → monastery
Now, the monk has admitted during questioning that his romance with the woman has been going on for the past two years.
asserted
romance → admit → years
Meanwhile, police who initially uncovered 92 million baht (£2.1million) say the figure has since risen to 215 million baht (£4.8million).
asserted
figure → uncover → baht
Authorities also seized a haul of valuables, including gold, necklaces, rings, gemstones and land deeds.
asserted
Authorities → seize → gold
Footage showing Phra Wachirayan Wi having sex on a table in his residence was widely broadcast on Thai media last week
Seized assets, including gold, jewellery, watches and Thai Baht banknotes said to be worth £5million
Seized cash is found at the home of the woman involved who has been accused of helping convert and conceal the money
asserted
who → show → money
The case is the latest scandal to hit the clergy in the Buddhist-majority nation, after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage and calls for greater scrutiny of temple finances.
asserted
case → hit → finances
Police began investigating Phra Wachirayan in mid-July after receiving an anonymous tip accusing him of misconduct and misuse of temple funds.
asserted
Police → begin → funds
Pattanasak, commander of the police Crime Suppression Division, said investigators identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts issued in the temple's name.
asserted
investigators → say → name
Some 89 million baht, or £2million, was donated for temple renovations, with another 2.8 million baht, or £63,000, in payments for Buddhist amulets and other sacred objects, he said.
asserted
he → donate → amulets
'But the money from both streams did not enter the temple's account - not a single baht,' Pattanasak told a news conference on Friday.
asserted
Pattanasak → enter → Friday
'We will expand the investigation to identify other people involved and restore public confidence in Buddhism,' said Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Nattasak Chaowanasai.
asserted
Chaowanasai → expand → Buddhism
Wat Phutthaisawan is a prominent royal monastery with a large following that includes government officials, businesspeople, police and military personnel.
asserted
that → include → officials
The former abbot, also known as Luang Pho Atichot, was well known for making amulets, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported to be among those who wore his creations.
asserted
who → know → creations
Phra Wachirayan Wi (pictured) has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling £2million for his monastery, alongside a suspected female accomplice he was caught having sex with
Authorities raided the home of the woman, seizing 90 baht weight of gold, along with cash and assets worth several million baht
The abbot was defrocked shortly after his arrest.
asserted
abbot → picture → arrest
He has yet to publicly comment.
asserted
He → have → ?
The scandal comes a year after police arrested a woman accused of blackmailing at least 11 monks she had sex with, extorting nearly $12million of monastery funds from them, in a case that shook Thailand.
asserted
that → come → Thailand
Also last year, a Thai Buddhist monk famed for establishing a hospice for people with HIV/Aids was arrested over allegations of misusing donations for the project.
asserted
monk → fame → project
Luang Phor Alongkot, also known as Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement, dereliction of duty and money laundering.
asserted
Alongkot → know → duty
A second person, Seksan Sapsubbsakul, who served as a fundraiser for the project, was also detained.
asserted
who → serve → project
Alongkot, 65, was forced to disrobe when he was taken on Tuesday to the Bangkok headquarters of the police Crime Suppression Bureau, as required before monks can formally be charged.
asserted
monks → force → Bureau
He denied any wrongdoing.
asserted
He → deny → wrongdoing
The Aporia
