In Songkhla, the deputy abbot of Wat Jak was killed by an assailant and found dead in his monastery quarters. Belongings were scattered around. The temple caretaker said calls to him went unanswered, so he came to the quarters and discovered the body. Authorities are urgently investigating the cause and pursuing the suspect.
At 09:05 on 5 June 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Ratchasit Luellan, an investigator at Ranot Police Station in Songkhla, received a report of a murder of a monk inside the monastery quarters at Wat Jak, Moo 6, Ranot Subdistrict, Ranot District, Songkhla. He joined Police Colonel Alamt Mekharat, Chief of Ranot Police Station, and the Songkhla Provincial Police investigation team led by Pol Major General Theerasak Chaiyotha, Commander of Songkhla Provincial Police; Police Colonel Pongsawat Intason, Chief of Investigation Division; Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekaphop Muksikpak, Deputy Chief of Investigation; and officials from Forensic Science Center 9 to inspect the scene.
At the scene, they found the body of Phra Kru Samuh Nan Theerapanyo, age 56, the deputy abbot of Wat Jak, also known as Phra Nan Thanawan, deceased in his saffron robes inside the quarters. There were signs of a struggle and belongings scattered around. The body had one cut wound on the chin and three stab wounds on the chest. It was not yet clear if anything was missing from the quarters.
Interviewing Mrs. Pornpen Kiewmak, the first person to find the body, she revealed that earlier in the morning she had called the monk to ask what he was eating, but he did not answer. She then went to the monastery quarters and found Phra Nan deceased inside.. (The original text is a fragment: "กุฏิ" meaning "quarters" or "monastery quarters".)
Upon investigation, it is believed that Phra Nan was attacked last night. However, police have not yet determined the motive and are continuing to investigate by gathering evidence and reviewing CCTV footage from the monastery’s entry and exit points to find suspects. It is possible the assailant’s motive was robbery, but upon entering the quarters, Phra Nan may have unexpectedly encountered the intruder, leading to the attack to silence him. Authorities will continue investigating to uncover the true cause and bring the perpetrator to justice.