Sangha scandal: A year of shattered faithListen to this articlePhra Alongkot, abbot of Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu in Lop Buri, is arrested on charges of financial fraud and money laundering in August. Wassayos NgamkhamIn 2025, Thailand’s Buddhist establishment came under its most intense legal and institutional scrutiny in decades, following a wave of confirmed criminal investigations involving senior monks nationwide. Investigators traced financial transactions totalling about 385 million baht over three years, much of it linked to online gambling. Financial tracing suggested total gambling-related transactions of at least 500 million baht after eight months of undercover monitoring. Amid mounting scandals, the Royal Gazette revoked ecclesiastical titles from 81 senior monks for conduct deemed spiritually damaging.

Source: Bangkok Post December 25, 2025 00:18 UTC