Crime Suppression Division officers removed evidence from the former abbot's residence at Wat Phutthaisawan, loading an orange round table onto a vehicle and detaining the temple steward for further investigation.
In the case where Crime Suppression Division police arrested Phra Wachirayan Wi., also known as Luang Pho Atichot Thammavaro or Luang Pho Chot, aged 66, the former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan Royal Monastery in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, under a warrant from the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, Region 1, No. 29/2026, dated 8 Sep 2026 GMT+7.
He faces charges of “being an official who embezzled property, being an official who improperly performed or neglected duties corruptly, being a state official who improperly performed or neglected duties, and conspiracy to launder money.” The allegations involve embezzling temple funds for personal use, then transferring them through a close associate to launder over 92 million baht in damages. He was arrested at his residence at the temple on the morning of 10 Sep 2026 GMT+7 and was defrocked as previously reported.
At 14:00, reports stated that inside Wat Phutthaisawan Royal Monastery, Crime Suppression Division officers brought a money-counting machine into the abbot’s residence to conduct an examination.
Around 14:30, police vehicles arrived at the residence’s front. Officers then removed the orange round table, identified as evidence, from the residence and loaded it onto the back of a vehicle amid media covering the situation.
Officers subsequently escorted the temple steward out of the residence and into a Crime Suppression Division van. Reporters asked about the incident and the money involved, but the steward did not respond to any questions.
Details regarding the seized evidence and the subjects under investigation remain pending official statements from the police.