Nongprue– April 8, 2025
A thief was caught on CCTV stealing donation money from Sutthawas Temple in Village 7 near Pattaya. The temple’s abbot, Phra Maha Thaworn Thawaro, who also serves as the Banglamung district monastic chief, presented the footage showing the culprit’s act of pilfering funds from the temple’s merit collection, donated by local devotees.
According to Phra Maha Thaworn, the incident occurred at 12:05 p.m. The thief, disguised as a worshipper, entered the temple area under the pretense of applying gold leaf to the Buddha statue and praying for blessings. Seizing a moment when the area was quiet, the man casually snatched cash from the donation pile, including funds placed in front of the temple’s relic shrine. The suspect, described as a man aged between 35 and 40, wore a face mask to conceal his identity and appeared visibly nervous. The stolen money consisted mostly of 100-baht and 20-baht banknotes, which he stuffed into a backpack.
Remarkably, the thief repeated the crime twice in the same manner, showing little regard for the devotees praying and chanting inside the temple. Phra Maha Thaworn expressed dismay, noting that such actions are deeply sinful. “The money donated by the faithful is meant for temple upkeep, including repairs and utility bills like water and electricity. Stealing it causes hardship for the temple,” he said. Though the amount taken was not substantial, the abbot stated that the act poses a threat to both Buddhism and society at large.
The temple has entrusted its administrative officer to file a formal complaint with the Nong Prue Police Station. Authorities are now working to track down the culprit and bring him to justice under the law. Phra Maha Thaworn concluded with a plea to the public, urging respect for sacred spaces and warning against the karmic consequences of such misdeeds.
