Temple Thief in Sri Racha Makes Off with 200,000 Baht

December 22, 2023

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Sri Racha —

A heartless thief ransacked the donation room of Wat Tapotharam in the Sri Racha district, making off with over 200,000 baht in cash and several gold-framed Buddhist amulets.

Security footage captured the entire incident, which unfolded on December 6th, 2023. The video showed the suspect, who was a slender and tall person in a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a black cap, arriving on a Wave 110i motorcycle and parking near the abbot’s residence. He then proceeded to break into the residence.

Inside the donation room, the thief targeted a worktable before forcefully breaking it open and took two piggy banks, pouches containing cash, and a number of valuable gold-framed Buddhist amulets.

Not stopping there, the thief vandalized a donation box at the temple, which was meant to pay for the temple utilities. He also smashed a box holding donations for the temple itself before racing away on his motorbike.

The distraught abbot, Phra Atikan Bangoen Panyawichiro, gave an interview with The Pattaya News on December 20th, saying he immediately reported the crime to the Sri Racha Police Station after the incident. He added that the thief stole over 200,000 baht, which was dedicated to the temple’s power and water bills and several other projects.

The abbot handed over the CCTV footage as evidence to Sri Racha police, urging them to catch the suspect as soon as possible, while also pleading the public to come forward with any information regarding the suspect’s identity or whereabouts.

He has gone to the media to raise awareness about the theft and hopefully capture the brazen criminal as soon as possible.