The Prachachon Party proposes amending the Sangha Act to remove financial authority from monks and promote the “Transparent Temple” policy to close money laundering loopholes.
On 11 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Kanit Wisetsingh, advisor to the Parliamentary Committee on Religion, Arts and Culture and representative of the Prachachon Party's cultural wing, announced plans to reform temple administration and religious assets. He highlighted a loophole in Section 36 of the Sangha Act, which grants sole financial control to abbots amid annual donation turnover of 54 billion baht, leading to embezzlement and money laundering problems as seen in the Wat Phutthaisawan case.
The Prachachon Party therefore proposes the “Transparent Temple” policy with three main measures: amending the law to have lay stewards and temple committees manage assets instead of monks to allow monks to focus on their religious duties according to monastic discipline; clearly defining the standards and qualifications of temple committees by involving community oversight; and establishing a nationwide digital financial database system (e-donation) for standardized accounting. This will require amending the Sangha Act and related Mahanikai Council regulations, along with promoting donation values to effectively redistribute funds for public benefit.