Wat Phra Bat Namphu scandal: The claims shaking Thailand’s ‘Aids temple’

Revered as a guardian angel to Aids patients, Luang Phor Alongkot now faces an embezzlement probe that could shatter the decades-long humanitarian legacy he built at Wat Phra Bat Namphu in Lop Buri.

The 72-year-old senior monk recently stepped down as abbot of the temple amid allegations that funds donated for the care of patients were misused.

The scandal blew up after influencer Seksan Sapsubbsakul, aka “Mor Bee the Ghostbuster”, was accused of misappropriating up to 200 million baht in temple donations.

Seksan has publicly stated that he handed cash from the donations account directly to Luang Phor Alongkot, instead of transferring the money to the temple’s account.

The complicated financial dealings and lack of transparency triggered suspicion of a potential conspiracy to defraud the temple.

Seksan began raising funds for Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu in 2019. The temple rose to fame after Luang Phor Alongkot opened its doors to care for terminal-stage Aids patients in 1992.

At that time, HIV/Aids was still a deadly disease because effective treatment and drugs were not yet widely available.

Luang Phor Alongkot quickly gained renown for selfless and pragmatic compassion amid the deadly health crisis, while his temple began attracting a steady stream of donations. That support has now dried up, leaving around 2,000 vulnerable people and their children sheltering at the temple in a precarious situation.

“I beg for sympathy and understanding, at least for the patients, some of whom are crying, cannot eat or sleep,” said the former abbot, who denies any wrongdoing.

What went wrong?

Police received a complaint about donations for the temple in March.

“Initially we focused on Seksan’s aides, but the scope of our investigation has since expanded,” said Pol Colonel Anek Taosupap, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division.

The ongoing investigation found that Seksan’s aides typically made withdrawals of 100,000 to 1 million baht from the donations account, yet much of the money never reached the temple’s accounts.

Seksan claimed the idea to hand over the cash directly came from Luang Phor Alongkot, who holds the monastic rank of Phra Ratcha Wisutthiprachanat. The abbot denies this.

Mana Nimitmongkol, head of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, observed that prominent temples and monks are often targeted by corrupt fundraisers who siphon off a portion of the donations for personal gain.

“The fame of temples or monks means they can easily attract donations,” he commented, without mentioning any names.

Wat Phra Bat Namphu had received daily donations of between 10,000 and 100,000 baht before the scandal erupted. That figure has now dropped to almost zero, Luang Phor Alongkot said recently.

How have donations been used?

Wat Phra Bat Namphu today runs a shelter for terminal-stage and bedridden patients, and the elderly, extending its services beyond just HIV/Aids care. Daily operating expenses are reportedly around 1 million baht.

The temple also provides schooling for patients’ children and runs the Jaifa Academy football foundation. Luang Phor Alongkot has reportedly been passionate about football since childhood.

However, questions are now being raised over whether donations meant for the temple were diverted to build the academy, which charges a fee for some users.

The ongoing investigation is also looking into why Luang Phor Alongkot allowed a layman to hold deeds for the land on which the temple sits. Currently, more than 300 rai of temple land remains registered to the descendants of the said layman, who has already passed away. They insist they have no wish to keep it, but say transfer fees must be paid by the temple.

Suspicion has also fallen on Wat Phra Bat Namphu’s abandoned expansion project. Temple monk Phra Jessada Jirattiko says the project was launched at a time when care facilities were becoming overcrowded.

“But things changed significantly in the past five or six years, as the number of seriously ill patients plunged due to the availability of effective medicines,” he said.

The monk also addressed complaints about piles of adult diapers and other discarded items at the temple, explaining they were left over from the flood of donations during the COVID-19 crisis and now needed to be disposed of.

Do Aids patients need charity today?

Prominent Aids activist Nimit Tienudom said most HIV-positive individuals could now live normal lives thanks to widely available treatments and community support.

“There is no need for anyone to be left at a temple or shelter,” he said.

According to Dr Jureerat Bovornwattanuwong, president of Thai AIDS Society, over 95% of HIV-positive people maintain undetectable virus levels that prevent it from spreading to others.

“They are healthy and live normal lives,” she explained.

She added that Wat Phra Bat Namphu currently shelters just 59 HIV/Aids patients, and most remain because of family or social problems rather than terminal-stage illness.

“Today, the country’s public healthcare system has developed to the point where we don’t need charity for Aids patients as before,” Dr Jureerat said.

Questioning Luang Phor Alongkot’s credentials

While vowing to continue working for those under his care despite the investigation, Luang Phor Alongkot is now facing fresh scrutiny over his educational credentials.

His published profile suggests he studied at Debsirin School, graduated from Kasetsart University, and went on to attend a graduate course in Australia. But as the scandal unfolded, he admitted he had never been at Debsirin School and had only ever dreamed of furthering his education in Australia.

PM’s Office Minister Suchart Tonjaroen, who oversees the National Office of Buddhism, said Luang Phor Alongkot would face legal action if it is proven he forged his educational credentials to obtain a higher monastic rank.

“We will also investigate why he decided to establish a football academy, which involves high operating costs,” he said.

Suchart said Luang Phor Alongkot would be treated as a state official under suspicion, because he was the temple’s abbot at the time of the alleged wrongdoing.

Spurred by a spate of recent scandals involving prominent temples and monks, the Revenue Department has announced that from January 1 next year, financial donations to temples will be tax deductible only if made through an electronic donation system.