PHITSANULOK– Another scandal may be brewing at a local temple, after a former monk from Wat Nang Phaya Temple has spoken out, saying he was unfairly forced to leave by the abbot after exposing misconduct.
He claims the abbot had inappropriate relationships and handled donation money from at least 10 offering boxes without any oversight. There are no temple accountants or committee members, and he says one woman and her daughter-in-law now run the temple with full control.
The former monk says he has proof, including video clips, and plans to take this to a senior police investigator in Bangkok.
On August 5, 2025, Phra Sommat Rasarak, who used to be a monk at Wat Nang Phaya, reached out to the press. He says he was treated unfairly after receiving a letter from the abbot, Phra Khru Sujittamwimon, removing him from the temple on August 4 at 7:00 p.m.
The letter claimed he broke serious monastic rules, hurt the temple’s reputation, and caused division among the monks.
The official letter to Phra Sommat said he acted above his position, spread false information to both other monks and the public, and damaged the temple’s reputation. It also claimed his actions led to misunderstandings and slander.
The abbot stated that Phra Sommat should leave the temple in Phitsanulok immediately or face legal action.
Alleged Corruption of Temple Funds
Phra Sommat filed a police report with Pol. Lt. Amnat Onpan, a deputy investigator at Muang Phitsanulok Police Station. He also submitted his complaint to the provincial governor and plans to send further evidence and video files to a deputy commander at the national police investigative division in Bangkok.
Phra Sommat told the Manager Online there is corruption involving temple funds. He said he has CCTV footage, written records, and witnesses to back up his claims. According to him, the abbot has acted improperly with women and misused temple money. He also says the abbot allowed others to control the finances and let outside groups influence what happens at the temple.
He alleges that money from more than 10 donation boxes in the temple was counted and given to a particular woman, who then put it in someone else’s bank account. He notes that there are no official temple caretakers or committees in place. Instead, all decisions are made by this woman and her daughter-in-law.
Phra Sommat said he previously reported these issues to the Phitsanulok Provincial Office of Buddhism, but sensitive details leaked out. On August 4 at 1:00 p.m., local religious leaders, including almost 10 committee members, met at Wat Aranyik to discuss the case.
However, they could not take any action. The abbot, Phra Khru Sujittamwimon, was called to explain, but he denied everything and only told reporters that he was in good health.
Abbots Personal Bank Account
Meanwhile, a source from inside the temple told the Manager Online that each time money was counted from the donation boxes, it was handed to the woman to deposit in someone else’s bank account, not the temple’s. Say the abbot’s personal account could hold as much as 20 million baht.
About 15 years ago, another monk accused the abbot of stealing temple funds and pointed to bank books showing balances of over 70 million baht. Senior monks were asked to look into where all this money came from.
The temple has no official financial committee or accountant. Only Mrs. Orn and her daughter-in-law, Bhum, have managed the temple’s affairs for up to two decades. People close to the abbot are known to have houses, cars, and spend money freely.
Locals say most people near the temple are aware of what goes on but stay quiet, feeling powerless against the group that controls things. Women once handled the money and used their influence openly. Among them, “Orn,” known for overseeing the abbot, and “Bhum,” her daughter-in-law, had the most authority.
It’s also widely known that Bhum has a close relationship with the abbot. After Orn fell ill, a Burmese friend of Bhum named “Nat” started berating people around the temple.
Monks committed to their code of conduct often found themselves pushed out or forced to move to other temples. Many regular worshippers also kept their distance. On Buddhist holidays, the temple sometimes had to invite students from a nearby school just to join merit-making events due to the low turnout.
