Sex, cash and gold engulf a royal Ayutthaya temple as ex-abbot Atichot and Ae are jailed without bail. Police trace ฿92 million in losses, ฿138 million in cash, ฿70 million in gold and ฿290 million in deposits.
Former Ayutthaya abbot Atichot Thanprasert and close associate Punyawee “Ae” Rungrueang are behind bars after being refused bail in a corruption case now stretching far beyond the original ฿92 million temple loss. Police have uncovered ฿138 million in cash, about ฿70 million in gold and more than ฿290 million in deposits linked with the former monk. The two-month undercover probe began with claims of a secret sexual relationship and Punyawee’s unexplained wealth. It then triggered six raids, Atichot’s arrest and disrobing, explicit CCTV controversy and a widening money-laundering investigation. Crucially, the court kept both suspects in custody amid fears they could interfere with evidence as police trace assets and other people linked to the financial trail.
Former high-profile Ayutthaya abbot Atichot Thanprasert and his close female associate are behind bars this weekend. A corruption court refused both suspects bail on Friday. Crucially, judges feared they could interfere with evidence if released. Police are now chasing a financial trail stretching deep into hundreds of millions of baht.
Atichot, 66, was formerly Phra Wachirayan Wi, also known as Atichot Dhammavaro. He headed Wat Phutthaisawan, a prominent royal monastery in Ayutthaya. His co-accused is Punyawee “Ae” Rungrueang, 47, described by police as his close associate. Both are now locked up at Saraburi Provincial Prison.
On Friday, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 1 approved their first remand. The order covers 12 days, from September 11 until September 23. Both suspects sought temporary release. Instead, the court rejected their applications and ordered them into correctional custody.
Court refuses bail as police trace financial trails and widen probe into people linked to temple funds
Notably, judges cited the seriousness of the accusations and heavy penalties attached to the offences. Investigators also need more time to follow extensive financial trails. In parallel, police are expanding the inquiry towards other people potentially connected with the money. The court therefore found sufficient grounds to fear interference with evidence.
The ruling cited Section 108/1 (2) and (5) of the Criminal Procedure Code. As a result, both applications for temporary release failed. Corrections officers then transferred Atichot and Punyawee directly to Saraburi Provincial Prison. They remain there this weekend as investigators dig deeper into the money trail.
Their dramatic court appearance came barely 24 hours after a major Crime Suppression Division operation. At about 2.30 pm Friday, police transported the pair to the corruption court in Saraburi. Their vehicle drove into the rear of the court complex. Officers then escorted both suspects inside, away from waiting cameras.
By then, Central Investigation Bureau investigators had completed their first round of questioning. Police had also begun processing evidence seized during Thursday’s operation. The original criminal case centres on reported temple losses exceeding ฿92 million. Yet that figure now represents only part of a much bigger financial investigation.
Cash, gold and deposits worth hundreds of millions emerge as covert temple funds investigation widens
Police have identified enormous quantities of cash, gold, deposits and property linked with the suspects. Indeed, officers found more than ฿138 million in cash inside Atichot’s quarters alone. Separately, they uncovered gold bars and jewellery valued at approximately ฿70 million. Investigators also identified more than ฿290 million in bank deposits associated with the former abbot.
The case began quietly on July 15 with an anonymous written complaint. Initially, it centred on Atichot’s relationship with Punyawee. The complaint claimed the Buddhist monk was maintaining a sexual relationship with her. At the same time, it raised another question which would drive the investigation much further.
The complaint questioned how Punyawee had accumulated substantial wealth without an obvious regular occupation. In response, Crime Suppression Division investigators launched a covert inquiry. Officers began examining the relationship between the pair. At the same time, investigators started digging into their finances and assets.
For almost two months, the investigation remained undercover. Police gathered evidence concerning the relationship and financial movements surrounding the pair. Eventually, investigators said they confirmed that the sexual relationship existed. By that stage, though, the inquiry had already moved deep into temple finances.
Officers began scrutinising donations, receipts and income connected with sacred objects. They also examined bank transactions and assets linked with Atichot and Punyawee. As part of this, investigators traced money which police say should have reached Wat Phutthaisawan. The financial trail increasingly became the centre of the case.
Police raids follow two-month covert probe as sexual CCTV ends former abbot’s life in the monkhood
Police subsequently sought arrest warrants as evidence accumulated. The warrants were issued on September 8. Investigators then prepared coordinated searches at six locations across four provinces. Those operations covered Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Buri Ram.
Shortly after 6 am on Thursday, September 10, police struck. Officers moved into Wat Phutthaisawan and arrested Atichot. Punyawee was arrested separately during the same operation. Simultaneously, police searched properties and began securing cash, gold, documents and other evidence.
The raids also brought another explosive element of the investigation into public view. CCTV cameras had recorded activity inside the former abbot’s residence. Police said the footage showed Atichot and Punyawee behaving intimately. More significantly, investigators said recordings showed them having sexual intercourse inside the monk’s quarters.
The footage immediately ended Atichot’s position within the monkhood. Under Buddhist monastic discipline, sexual intercourse constitutes a parajika offence. It is among the gravest violations of monastic rules. Accordingly, such conduct results in the loss of monastic status.
Officials from the Ayutthaya Provincial Office of Buddhism and senior monks then oversaw Atichot’s departure from the monkhood. Afterwards, the former abbot appeared dressed in white instead of Buddhist robes. During questioning, both suspects reportedly rejected the financial accusations. However, they acknowledged the sexual conduct recorded on CCTV.
Explicit CCTV footage sparks online storm as press council urges restraint and police follow temple money
Almost immediately, the footage triggered a separate storm online. Images and video connected with the pair’s sexual conduct spread rapidly across Thai social media. Some news organisations also reproduced still photographs or portions of the material. Before long, one unlikely object inside the former abbot’s quarters became an internet sensation.
An orange round table visible in the recordings became a social-media meme. Users circulated edited photographs and jokes involving the table. Some even digitally inserted themselves into scenes surrounding it. On another front, more sexually provocative images from the recordings also began circulating widely.
That material eventually prompted intervention from the National Press Council of Thailand. On Friday, the council issued a formal statement urging news organisations to exercise restraint. It said public interest did not require audiences to see every detail. It also urged media outlets not to reproduce images or video considered obscene.
The council additionally referred to the rights and human dignity of people appearing in the material. Away from that controversy, police kept their attention firmly on the money. Investigators are examining what happened to donations and other funds connected with Wat Phutthaisawan. That inquiry has already moved far beyond the initial ฿92 million damage figure.
Police accuse Atichot of receiving money presented as donations to the royal monastery. According to investigators, donation receipts carrying Wat Phutthaisawan’s name were issued for some transactions. Yet police say corresponding funds did not enter the temple’s accounts. Investigators initially identified transactions and receipts exceeding ฿100 million.
Temple losses top ฿92 million as police trace Punyawee’s wealth and find ฿205 million in abbot’s quarters
Earlier police calculations placed direct damage to the temple above ฿92 million. In addition, some transactions involved donations and payments connected with sacred objects and amulets. Investigators are now tracing where that money subsequently travelled. They are also comparing those transactions with temple accounts and banking records.
Police believe some funds were transferred to Punyawee. Investigators also suspect money was converted into other assets or placed under different names. Against that backdrop, Punyawee’s rapidly increasing wealth became another major focus. Police said her financial position had changed substantially during the previous one or two years.
Investigators found no obvious regular employment explaining that increase. Among the first assets identified were two townhouses worth more than ฿4 million. Police also identified a Toyota Fortuner and bank deposits exceeding ฿5 million. Additionally, investigators say some ownership was concealed through Punyawee’s daughter.
The discoveries linked to Atichot were vastly larger. During a Friday briefing, the Central Investigation Bureau disclosed exactly what officers found inside his quarters. Investigators discovered ฿138,308,986 in cash. That cash pile alone exceeded the original reported temple losses by more than ฿46 million.
Alongside it, officers discovered large quantities of gold bars and jewellery. The haul weighed more than 1,066 baht-weight. Police valued the gold at approximately ฿70 million. Combined, the cash and gold inside Atichot’s quarters were worth approximately ฿205.2 million.
Police identify another ฿290 million in deposits as searches uncover cash, gold and financial documents
Even that did not represent the full financial picture. In a separate discovery, investigators identified more than ฿290 million in bank deposits associated with Atichot. The investigation therefore jumped from a ฿92 million temple case into wealth running into hundreds of millions. Police must now establish where that money came from.
Searches connected with Punyawee produced another sizeable haul. Officers reported finding ฿3,873,614 in cash at her home. They also discovered approximately 90 baht-weight of gold. Police valued that gold at about ฿6.15 million.
Taken together, cash and gold found at Punyawee’s home exceeded ฿10 million. Investigators also recovered an extensive collection of financial and property documents. Among them were land title deeds, bank books and a land-sale agreement. Officers also found gold purchase documents and savings-lottery certificates.
Other financial records were secured during the raids. Now, investigators must establish which assets came from legitimate sources. They must also identify holdings potentially connected with suspected temple fund offences. In tandem, money-laundering investigators are following transfers between accounts, people and assets.
Financial evidence widens case beyond jailed pair as both face corruption and money laundering charges
The financial evidence has also pushed the inquiry beyond the two jailed suspects. Police are examining whether third parties participated in transactions surrounding them. Likewise, investigators are checking whether other people held assets linked with the money. That widening investigation became a central issue during Friday’s bail proceedings.
The court specifically noted that extensive financial trails still required investigation. It also said the inquiry needed expansion towards related persons. Given the serious accusations, judges refused to release either suspect. Both were instead ordered into custody until at least September 23.
Atichot faces accusations involving public funds, official misconduct and suspected money laundering. Police accuse him of misappropriating property while acting as a public official. He also faces accusations concerning wrongful or corrupt performance of official duties. In addition, investigators accuse him of conspiracy to launder money and jointly laundering money.
The case cites Sections 147, 157 and 83 of the Criminal Code. Police have also invoked Sections 3(5), 5, 10 and 60 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Those provisions form the legal basis of the corruption and money-laundering investigation now confronting the former abbot.
Punyawee faces serious accusations of her own. Police accuse her of assisting a public official in embezzlement and misconduct. She also faces accusations of conspiracy to launder money and jointly laundering money. Both suspects reportedly rejected the financial accusations during questioning.
Conflicting asset totals reach ฿720 million as police examine cash, gold, deposits, property and vehicles
The case has therefore moved far beyond the relationship which triggered the undercover operation. Instead, investigators are following temple funds, deposits, cash holdings, gold and property. They are also examining money connected with sacred objects, amulets and donations. Each financial strand could lead investigators towards additional assets or people.
At the same time, different overall figures have appeared in Thai media concerning the wealth involved. Some reports have placed the amount above ฿200 million. Others have cited figures exceeding ฿400 million. One calculation reported in the media has exceeded ฿720 million.
Those totals, though, combine different categories of wealth in different ways. Some include only assets physically recovered during searches. Others incorporate bank deposits, property, land, vehicles and other holdings. For that reason, the detailed figures released by investigators provide the clearest current picture.
Police found exactly ฿138,308,986 in cash inside Atichot’s quarters. They also valued gold bars and jewellery there at approximately ฿70 million. Beyond that, investigators identified more than ฿290 million in bank deposits associated with him. At Punyawee’s home, police reported another ฿3,873,614 in cash.
Her gold was valued at approximately ฿6.15 million. Those figures sit alongside townhouses, a vehicle, land documents and other assets now being examined. Clearly, the wealth under scrutiny dwarfs the original reported temple damage. Still, police must establish precisely how much is connected with suspected criminal activity.
Police trace ownership and money movements as court keeps both suspects jailed over evidence concerns
Investigators have not said every identified asset represents misappropriated temple money. First, they must establish ownership and origins. Next, they must reconstruct how funds moved between accounts and people. They must also determine whether suspect money was converted into other forms of wealth.
That work requires detailed scrutiny of banking and property records. Police are also examining evidence recovered from Thursday’s six searches. In another strand, investigators are comparing financial movements with temple accounts, receipts and donation records. Income from sacred objects and amulets is also under examination.
Police are additionally checking whether money travelled through third parties before reaching other accounts. They are examining whether funds were converted into gold, land or other property. At the same time, investigators are tracing people who may have received or controlled connected assets.
The court recognised that unfinished work when considering bail. Judges also considered the seriousness of the accusations and possible penalties. Consequently, they concluded temporary release created a danger of interference with evidence. Both suspects were therefore handed over to corrections officers.
Covert probe moves from secret relationship to six raids, arrests, disrobing and hundreds of millions
The case has drawn intense attention because of Atichot’s former position. Wat Phutthaisawan is a prominent royal monastery in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. Yet the inquiry moved rapidly from his private conduct towards temple finances and suspected money laundering.
On July 15, an anonymous complaint raised the sexual relationship and questions surrounding Punyawee’s wealth. Within two months, investigators had mounted a covert operation across several provinces. By September 8, police had secured arrest warrants. Two days later, officers struck six locations in four provinces.
Atichot was arrested at Wat Phutthaisawan shortly after 6 am. Punyawee was taken into custody separately. During the searches, police uncovered huge quantities of cash, gold and financial documentation. Within hours, the former abbot had also lost his monastic status.
By Friday afternoon, both suspects were before the corruption court in Saraburi. Neither walked free. Instead, the court authorised their first detention period until September 23. Corrections officers then transported both directly to Saraburi Provincial Prison.
Atichot entered the weekend stripped of his former monastic position and facing a major criminal investigation. Punyawee also remains jailed as police scrutinise her wealth. Behind the scenes, investigators continue working through an increasingly complex financial trail.
Sexual footage recedes as huge cash, gold and deposits drive widening temple funds and laundering probe
The sexual footage remains significant because it confirmed conduct incompatible with Atichot’s former monastic status. Its circulation also triggered the National Press Council’s intervention. Nevertheless, the criminal case is now dominated by the money.
Police are examining reported temple losses exceeding ฿92 million. Beyond that, they are investigating much larger holdings of cash, gold and bank deposits. More than ฿138 million in physical cash was found inside Atichot’s quarters alone. Gold valued at approximately ฿70 million was sitting alongside it.
Elsewhere in the investigation, more than ฿290 million in deposits have been associated with the former abbot. Punyawee’s home yielded another ฿3.87 million in cash and approximately ฿6.15 million in gold. Police have also identified townhouses, a vehicle and extensive financial documentation.
Consequently, the investigation now stretches deep into hundreds of millions of baht. It is also moving towards other people potentially connected with the financial trail. Police must determine where the money originated, where it travelled and who controlled it.
Both suspects remain in Saraburi prison as police trace assets, temple accounts and connected people
For now, both principal suspects remain inside Saraburi Provincial Prison. Their first remand runs until September 23. In the interim, Crime Suppression Division and Central Investigation Bureau investigators continue examining the case.
Investigators are tracing bank transactions, property records, temple accounts and donations. On top of that, they are seeking the origins of the enormous cash and gold holdings. Police must also determine who ultimately received, owned or controlled the assets.
Ayutthaya abbot disrobes as top temple official is arrested by police who worked undercover for months
The court has given investigators more time to follow that trail with both suspects locked up. Atichot and Punyawee now face serious corruption and money-laundering accusations. Both have been refused bail. Meanwhile, a case that began with a secret relationship has become a sprawling investigation into hundreds of millions of baht.
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