The article reports the arrest of “Sanya,” who deceived a 68-year-old abbot into borrowing 650,000 baht, leading to the abbot’s suicide. The incident, which occurred at Wat Botsa (Bon) on October 20, 2024, involved Sanya befriending the abbot and convincing him to borrow money from parishioners, promising he would be a co-host for a donation ceremony. The abbot became distressed when Sanya failed to return his calls about repayment.
On October 22, police apprehended Sanya, aged 66, while he was attempting to flee. While in custody, he admitted to borrowing money but claimed it was less than 650,000 baht and said he had repaid some already. However, he confessed to spending the borrowed money on lottery tickets and claimed he intended to turn himself in before being caught by the police. He further denied the opportunity to apologize to the abbot’s spirit.
Pornpitak Ruangsaeng, the Governor of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, expressed the public’s sorrow over the incident, demanding a thorough investigation. He thanked the police for their swift action in arresting Sanya, who was described as a con artist known for borrowing money under false pretenses to fund his gambling habits.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.
