The former abbot of Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom, Yaem Ingkrungkao, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Wednesday.
The 70-year-old, widely known as Tid Yaem, was the central figure in a high-profile temple funds fraud case that first came to light last year.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases also sentenced four other defendants to eight years in prison each.
Those convicted include a woman named Aranyawan Wangthapan, former monk Ekkapot Phukang, and a married couple, Patcharaporn and Chief Petty Officer First Class Chatchai Si-liang.
The group was convicted in relation to the fraudulent handling of more than 2 billion baht in temple funds.
Tid Yaem was found guilty of malfeasance and embezzlement in his capacity as a state official, while his co-defendants were convicted of aiding and abetting the crimes.
Investigation into gambling links
The case began in May 2025 after plainclothes police investigators conducted an eight-month surveillance operation at the popular temple in Sam Phran district.
This followed an initial complaint of embezzlement reported to the Crime Suppression Division regarding irregularities at the religious site.
Investigators discovered that Tid Yaem, who previously held the title of Phra Thamma Wachiranuwat, had instructed the temple committee to transfer significant sums of money into his personal bank account. These funds were subsequently moved into the account of Aranyawan Wangthapan.
According to police findings, the embezzled money was used to fund online gambling activities.
On May 15 last year, Tid Yaem surrendered to the authorities as police prepared to seek an arrest warrant. He was disrobed the same day and remanded in custody shortly thereafter.
Network of accomplices
The court heard that direct transfers to the account of Aranyawan were also facilitated by Ekkapot, who served as a close aide to the then-abbot.
The married couple involved in the case was responsible for managing rental fees from vendors during temple fairs.
It was determined that the couple had also handled portions of the embezzled money on behalf of the former abbot. While Tid Yaem received the maximum sentence, the four co-defendants have indicated their intention to appeal the court’s decision.
This high-profile conviction is part of a broader series of temple-related scandals involving senior monks that emerged across the country last year, prompting calls for greater transparency in the management of religious institutions.
