Nong Khai is in turmoil after a theft. The "golden Buddha hair ornament" weighing 5 baht was stolen from Wat Hai Sok. Suspicion falls on Phra Ton, one of the temple's monks, who disappeared after the incident. Police are urgently coordinating efforts to find him.
On 19 May 2026 at 19:00, police from Mueang Nong Khai Police Station received a report from Wat Hai Sok in Nai Mueang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nong Khai Province, that a thief had stolen the golden Buddha hair ornament from the head of the Buddha statue "Phra Phuttha Chinrat Hai Sok" inside the ubosot. The ornament was decorated with gold weighing over 5 baht.
Initial inquiries with the monks at the temple suggest the golden Buddha hair ornament may have been missing for about 2-3 days before the temple noticed the gold was gone. They promptly contacted Mueang Nong Khai Police to investigate, collect evidence, and expedite the arrest of the perpetrator.
Authorities then called those involved at the temple—including monks, novices, and the temple caretaker—to fingerprint for DNA comparison against traces left by the thief and to confirm their innocence. However, a few workers and Phra Marut, known as Phra Ton, a monk ordained for six months, did not come for fingerprinting. Later, after the monks returned from the police station, it was discovered that Phra Ton had disappeared. CCTV footage showed him carrying a bag, driving a pickup truck to Nong Khai Bus Terminal, and boarding a bus, after which he lost contact.
At 19:00 on 21 May 2026, reporters visited Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3 to follow up on leads about Phra Marut, or Phra Ton, after learning he had boarded a bus from Nong Khai around 10:00 and was expected to arrive at Khon Kaen Bus Terminal 3.
Verification with the bus company confirmed that the bus arrived at Khon Kaen Bus Terminal as per the intelligence, reaching around 13:30. However, the company's system did not record any ticket bookings under a monk’s name for that trip.
This raised suspicions that the passenger might not have been registered in the bus company's ticketing system. Reporters contacted the bus driver by phone for more details; he said no monks boarded the bus and then hung up.
Reporters also questioned all types of public transport drivers and individuals around Khon Kaen Bus Terminal to find additional leads but so far have found no confirmed sightings or traces of Phra Ton.
Meanwhile, police continue to examine evidence and trace the suspect’s escape route to resolve the case of the stolen golden Buddha hair ornament from the Buddha statue inside Wat Hai Sok’s ubosot in Nong Khai. This incident has deeply shaken the faith of Buddhists and caused great concern among local residents.
However, as of 11:00 on 22 May 2026, reporters reported progress: after Nong Khai police investigated and interviewed related parties, they confirmed that Phra Marut, or Phra Ton, had disappeared from the temple and new evidence showed he took a bus to the Si Khio intersection in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
Recently, Police Colonel Thatchaphon Chinwong, Superintendent of Si Khio Police Station, said he had been on duty elsewhere for several days and delegated another deputy superintendent to act in his place. Initially, no complaints or coordination requests from Nong Khai police had been received regarding the search for Phra Ton, who is a suspect in the golden Buddha hair ornament theft case. However, if contact is made, Si Khio police are ready to cooperate.