Loei: Police have requested court approval to issue an arrest warrant for a former temple boy accused of swindling donation money and using it for gambling, resulting in over 200 million baht in damages.

According to Thai News Agency, the investigation revealed that the former Phra Maha deceived both the hospital director and the provincial abbot of Loei, claiming the funds were to construct an accident building, a project initiated by the abbot of Wat Pa Weluwanaram.

The fraudulent activities spanned from May 2023 to April 2024, during which the suspect made five separate requests for money, amounting to a total of 7 million baht. It was not until the abbot discovered the deception that the former monk confessed, leading to a contract acknowledging the debt. Subsequent inquiries by the temple committee unveiled further misconduct. Relatives and devotees from Bangkok and nearby provinces, who had contributed to the temple, found discrepancies in the bank account under the temple’s name. Some of the donated
money was transferred to a different bank branch under the temple’s name, with the former monk acting as the disburser.

Investigations uncovered that at least 200 million baht had been moved through this account, and the former monk had engaged in online gambling, losing more than 100 million baht. As a result, the temple authorities expelled him on October 21 and stripped him of his monastic status. Following these revelations, the hospital director and the provincial abbot filed a formal complaint. Despite an initial summons, the suspect failed to surrender, prompting the police to seek an arrest warrant due to the significant financial damages and concerns over a potential flight risk.