From CCTV to $3.1 Million Funds, Phra Wachirayan Case at Wat Phutthaisawan Expands

An anonymous report received by Thai police in mid-July initially highlighted the behavior of an abbot at one of the historic royal temples in Ayutthaya. Less than two months later, the investigation expanded into a case of alleged embezzlement of temple funds exceeding 92 million baht, approximately IDR 49 billion based on the reference exchange rate on September 12, 2026.

Police arrested Phra Wachirayan Wi, known as Luang Pho Atichot Dhammavaro, on September 10, 2026. Punyawee “Ae” Rungrueang was also detained in the same operation.

Behind the CCTV footage that later became widely reported, investigators found a bigger issue: the alleged flow of funds from Wat Phutthaisawan amounting to more than 92 million baht that reportedly did not enter the temple's official account.

The case is not yet resolved. A day after the arrest, the Central Investigation Bureau or CIB revealed findings of cash, gold, bank accounts, and documents of significant assets. The investigation was then expanded to determine the origin of all these assets and whether other parties were involved.

It began with an anonymous report on July 15

The investigation did not start from a routine audit. According to CIB statements quoted by several Thai media outlets, police received an anonymous written complaint on July 15, 2026.

The report contained allegations of monastic disciplinary violations by Phra Wachirayan and questioned his closeness to Punyawee. The reporter also highlighted the unusual increase in Punyawee's wealth.

This information did not immediately lead to arrests. Investigators worked for several weeks to examine financial transactions, documents, interpersonal relationships, and activities related to Wat Phutthaisawan.

From there, the direction of the investigation began to shift from personal behavior issues to alleged misuse of donation money.

Two money flows become the focus of investigators

In a press statement on September 11, police explained at least two streams of funds that became the focus of the case.

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About 89 million baht was said to come from donations for temple renovations. Another 2.8 million baht was related to payments for amulets and sacred objects.

Investigators also found more than 20 receipts issued using the temple's name over a period of more than two years. According to police statements, the funds listed in these streams did not enter Wat Phutthaisawan's official account.

The initial loss being investigated was then calculated to be in the range of more than 92 million baht, or approximately IDR 49 billion. The details are 89 million baht roughly equivalent to IDR 47.4 billion, while 2.8 million baht is about IDR 1.49 billion.

Important: the figure of 92 million baht is the estimated amount of funds being investigated, not the total assets found. The rupiah conversion uses the indicative rate on September 12, 2026, of 1 baht ≈ IDR 532.58 and is rounded for readability.

Cash and gold found in the search

The search of the former abbot's residence yielded significant findings. CIB stated that officers found cash exceeding 138 million baht, roughly equivalent to IDR 73.5 billion.

In addition to cash, police found gold bars and jewelry weighing more than 1,066 baht-weight, a unit of gold weight commonly used in Thailand. The value of the gold was estimated at around 70 million baht, or approximately IDR 37.3 billion.

Investigators also mentioned bank deposits exceeding 290 million baht linked to the former abbot—approximately IDR 154.4 billion if converted with the same reference rate.

However, all these figures cannot yet be considered as proceeds of crime. Police are still examining the source of each fund and distinguishing which are personal property, belong to the temple, or are related to the case being investigated.

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Punyawee's house was also searched

Photo: Series of searches of Punyawee's house in the police investigation.