Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division (CSD) is investigating a foundation recently established by former monk Atichot Tanprasert as part of a wider probe into suspected financial irregularities and possible money laundering involving temple funds.
The investigation follows the arrest of Atichot, who recently left the monkhood, in connection with allegations involving more than 92 million baht in temple funds. Police are examining how money generated through temple activities was handled and whether some of it was transferred to individuals before being channelled into the foundation.
Investigators are particularly interested in the foundation’s financial structure and its relationship with the temple. Police suspect that some money that should have been deposited into the temple’s accounts may have been redirected elsewhere. Donation receipts were reportedly issued under the temple’s name even though some funds were subsequently linked to the foundation.
The CSD has been tracing the financial transactions as part of an effort to determine where the money originated, who received it and how it was ultimately used. Investigators are also looking into whether other individuals were involved in moving or receiving the funds.
The wider case began after information was provided to police by people close to the former monk. Investigators subsequently conducted a covert investigation lasting nearly two months, examining financial records, transactions and activities connected with the temple.
Police later carried out searches at five locations across Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Bangkok. Officers seized cash, documents and other materials that could help reconstruct the suspected flow of money.
The investigation also covers revenue from temple activities and the sale of sacred objects. Authorities are examining whether those proceeds were properly recorded and deposited into the temple’s accounts, as well as whether any money was diverted for other purposes.
The foundation has now become an important part of the inquiry because investigators want to establish why it was created, who controlled it and how it was financed. Police have not yet concluded that the foundation itself was involved in criminal activity, and the allegations remain under investigation.
The suspected amount involved currently exceeds 92 million baht, but police have indicated that the final figure could change as investigators continue examining financial records and tracing assets.
The case adds to a series of high-profile investigations involving Thailand’s Buddhist institutions, where authorities have increasingly faced pressure to improve transparency and oversight of temple finances. The latest probe is expected to continue as police examine the foundation, connected individuals and the wider money trail.
For now, investigators are focused on establishing whether temple funds were deliberately diverted and whether subsequent transactions could amount to money laundering. Any further action will depend on the evidence uncovered during the ongoing investigation.
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