CHIANG RAI – A prominent temple abbot in northern Thailand faces immediate suspension following a shocking financial scandal. The senior monk recently fell victim to a sophisticated call center scam that completely drained the temple’s bank accounts. This heartbreaking incident occurred at Wat Mae Kham in the Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai.
The trouble began when scammers called the 64-year-old abbot, Phra Maha Norkaew Inthapanyo. These criminals falsely claimed to be senior police officers investigating a major regional crime. The scammers convinced the monk that his accounts were tied to an illegal money laundering network. Consequently, they ordered him to secretly send his funds for immediate government inspection.
Key Takeaways
- A Chiang Rai temple abbot lost nearly 9 million baht to a fake police phone scam.
- The monk secretly completed 207 money transfers over a year to clear his name.
- Buddhist officials suspended the abbot, while key temple committee members officially resigned from their roles.
This massive financial drain did not happen overnight, but rather over many long months. In fact, the confused abbot transferred money continuously from early 2025 until July 2026. He unknowingly moved funds from both his personal savings and the official temple bank accounts.
According to local news reports from MGR Online, the monk made exactly 207 separate bank transfers. Ultimately, the total amount of stolen money reached a staggering sum of 8,745,187 baht.
The ruthless scammers kept pressing the isolated monk for more money to supposedly clear his name. Sadly, by the time the truth came out, almost 9 million baht had completely vanished. Local police officers are now actively gathering evidence to track down this dangerous criminal network.
Following this massive financial loss, the local Buddhist clergy took swift and very decisive action. The district monastic chief issued an official order to suspend the abbot from all religious duties. Keeping him in power would risk causing even more damage to the temple’s reputation and assets.
Temple Committee Members Step Down
Therefore, a new acting abbot, Phra Kru Apiwat Watee, quickly stepped in to manage the temple. This shocking scandal also caused immediate chaos among the temple’s daily financial management team.
The temple laywarden and a key committee member publicly resigned from their positions right away. Usually, withdrawing temple funds requires the signatures of two out of three authorized committee members. Their sudden resignations clearly highlight the severe internal fallout caused by this multimillion-baht phone scam.
Furthermore, this tragic event serves as a very strong warning for everyone living in the local community. Phone scammers are using highly manipulative tactics to steal millions of baht from unsuspecting innocent victims.
Consequently, authorities urge the public to verify any suspicious phone calls directly with local police stations. Never transfer money to unknown accounts, even if the caller claims to be a government official.
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