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A Thai court convicted former abbot Alongkot Poonmook for embezzling hospice donations with an associate. The ruling deepens scrutiny of temple finances and tarnishes a once-admired HIV/AIDS hospice.
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Bangkok,Oct 7, 2026 14:44 IST
A former Buddhist monk in Thailand has been convicted of misusing donations meant for a widely praised hospice he set up for people with HIV/AIDS, and has been given the maximum prison term of 50 years. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases also convicted his associate, who worked as a fundraiser for the project, on multiple counts of embezzlement and money laundering.
The court said Alongkot Poonmook, formerly known as Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat, and Seksan Sapsubbsakul must also return more than 300 million baht, about USD 9 million, to the hospice at Wat Phra Bat Namphu temple. Alongkot had served as abbot at the temple in Lopburi province.
Alongkot was forced to leave the monkhood after he was arrested last year along with Seksan. The court sentenced Alongkot to a cumulative 742 years in prison, while Seksan was handed more than 386 years. However, both terms were automatically reduced to the legal maximum of 50 years.
The case drew widespread attention after questions about the handling of funds for the hospice were raised online, prompting an investigation. Thailand has seen cases in the past of senior monks being accused of misusing temple funds. Some Buddhist temples in the country are extremely wealthy because worshippers donate large sums as a way of making religious merit.
Wat Phra Bat Namphu has long been a revered institution in Thailand, where most people are Buddhist, but its image has been hit by the financial scandal. Alongkot's hospice was seen as a pioneering humanitarian project when it was set up in 1992, though it became less relevant after the development and distribution of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV.
Alongkot later expanded the hospice to treat people with other serious illnesses, and the temple also runs charities that support the education of underprivileged children. The verdict marks a major development in a case that has damaged the standing of a once-respected temple and its well-known hospice.
With PTI Inputs
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