The abbot of a royal ancient temple in the city of Phitsanul

The abbot of Wat Phra That Sai Wong, a royal temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, is Pa Wachirayan (Dhamma name Atijoti, also known as Ajahn Chu or Lop Bua Chu in the folk). He wears his robes daily and the temple is bustling with worshippers, many of whom come specifically to seek blessings and amulets. Around 6 a.m. on September 10, 2026, the Central Investigation Bureau entered the abbot's quarters with an arrest warrant and took him away. At the time, he was still sitting at the dining table eating hot pot, with fish balls and porridge on the table. Another suspect in the case is a 47-year-old female devotee named Punyawan. She is simple in appearance and often wears amulets. She was previously tasked with handling matters related to incense, candles, and amulets. The police charged that the two had a close relationship, and temple funds were channeled and hidden through her name. She was subsequently arrested as well.

After the audit, the amount caused a sensation. Police said that over the past two years, more than 20 improper donation receipts were issued in the name of the temple, resulting in an initial loss of over 92 million Thai baht. The funds were not used for repairs or Buddhist activities, but were allegedly misappropriated and transferred to the woman's account or converted into other assets. A large amount of cash, gold bars, and gold jewelry were seized during the search. What hurt the believers even more was the footage from the surveillance cameras in the monks' quarters, which recorded the abbot's intimate and even sexual behavior with the woman in the kitchen, dining table, and bedroom areas. On one side was the place of discipline, and on the other side were the out-of-bounds actions captured on the surveillance cameras. Relevant clips quickly spread on social media platforms.