Thai police have arrested a Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling 100 million baht from his monastery, along with a suspected female accomplice.

Why are financial crimes by monks rising in Thailand?

Thai police have arrested a Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling 100 million baht ($3m; £2.2m) from his monastery, along with a suspected female accomplice he was filmed having sex with. Phra Wachirayan Wi, a former abbot at the prominent 14th-Century Wat Phutthaisawan in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, allegedly pocketed donations meant for the temple on more than 20 occasions over two years. [TO VERIFY: limited source detail on broader trend causes]

What was seized during the arrest?

Police found cash and gold bars worth more than 100 million baht while raiding Phra Wachirayan's residence on Thursday, with counting going on until late into the night, Thai news outlet The Nation reported. While examining CCTV footage in the residence, police found a clip of him having sex with a woman on his dining table. Authorities identified her as 47-year-old Punyavee Rungrueang, who has been arrested on charges of abetting a state official in illegal activities. She has yet to comment publicly. Many monks in Thailand receive stipends from the government and are therefore considered state officials. Police on Friday said they identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts Phra Wachirayan had issued in the temple's name – one was meant for temple renovations, while the other was payment for amulets and other sacred objects. "But the money from both streams did not enter the temple's account. Not a single baht," lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan told a news conference, according to reports. Investigators say they started looking into the case in mid July, after receiving an anonymous tip alleging Phra Wachirayan of misconduct and misuse of temple funds. He was defrocked after his arrest. He has yet to comment publicly. The two money streams were tracked through donation receipts issued in the temple's name. One stream was intended for temple renovations. The other covered payments for amulets and sacred objects. Neither stream reached the temple accounts. Police confirmed zero baht entered the official accounts from either source. The raid continued into the night as officers counted the recovered cash and gold bars. CCTV review directly led to identification of the woman in the footage.

What is Punyavee Rungrueang's role?

Police believe Punyavee helped Phra Wachirayan manage his embezzled proceeds, noting that tens of millions of baht circulated through her bank accounts each year, The Bangkok Post reported. Police seized 35 gold amulets, along with about 1.5kg of gold bars and jewellery, worth an estimated 6.04 million baht, from Punyavee's home. She has yet to comment publicly. The 66-year-old was known for creating a highly coveted coin amulet. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reportedly owns some of his creations. Police found cash and gold bars worth more than 100 million baht while raiding Phra Wachirayan's residence on Thursday, with counting going on until late into the night. While examining CCTV footage in the residence, police found a clip of him having sex with a woman on his dining table. Authorities identified her as 47-year-old Punyavee Rungrueang, who has been arrested on charges of abetting a state official in illegal activities. Tens of millions of baht moved through her accounts annually. Police traced the flow of funds from the two donation streams directly to her accounts. The 35 gold amulets and 1.5 kg of gold recovered from her residence form part of the evidence. Investigators continue to examine bank records linking the flows to the temple donations.

Why do such incidents occur frequently in Thailand's Buddhist community?

Thailand's Buddhist institution has long been plagued with reports of monks breaking their vow of celibacy, trafficking drugs and committing financial crimes. The latest arrests come just over a year after another sex-and-blackmail case involving senior monks rocked Thailand's monastic community. In July last year, police opened a hotline for people to report "misbehaving monks" after at least nine monks were found to have had sex with a woman. She then blackmailed them with photos and videos of the acts for nearly $12 million. [TO VERIFY: limited source detail on frequency causes]

What are the next steps?

Investigators say they started looking into the case in mid July, after receiving an anonymous tip alleging Phra Wachirayan of misconduct and misuse of temple funds. He was defrocked after his arrest. He has yet to comment publicly. Police on Friday said they identified two streams of money linked to donation receipts Phra Wachirayan had issued in the temple's name – one was meant for temple renovations, while the other was payment for amulets and other sacred objects. "But the money from both streams did not enter the temple's account. Not a single baht," lead police investigator Pattanasak Bupphasuwan told a news conference, according to reports. Police found cash and gold bars worth more than 100 million baht while raiding Phra Wachirayan's residence on Thursday, with counting going on until late into the night. While examining CCTV footage in the residence, police found a clip of him having sex with a woman on his dining table. Authorities identified her as 47-year-old Punyavee Rungrueang, who has been arrested on charges of abetting a state official in illegal activities. The anonymous tip launched the mid-July inquiry. Both suspects remain silent on the allegations. Police continue to review bank records and physical evidence collected during the raids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Phra Wachirayan Wi?

He is the former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan monastery in Ayutthaya, known for creating a highly coveted coin amulet. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reportedly owns some of his creations.

How much money is he accused of embezzling?

100 million baht ($3m; £2.2m) from temple donations on more than 20 occasions over two years.

What charges does Punyavee Rungrueang face?

Abetting a state official in illegal activities; tens of millions of baht circulated through her accounts yearly.

Are Thai monks considered state officials?

Many receive government stipends and are therefore considered state officials.

What action have police taken on such cases?

In July last year they opened a hotline to report misbehaving monks after a major sex-and-blackmail scandal.