Wat Rai Khing stops financial aid to hospital despite soliciting donations

Wat Rai Khing’s former abbot halted financial aid to its hospital for three years, despite ongoing public donation collections, police reveal.

The former and scandal-hit ex-abbot of the popular Wat Rai Khing temple has reportedly ceased providing financial aid to the public hospital on its land for three years, despite continuing to solicit public donations for the hospital, police investigations have revealed.

Police Investigate Donation Accounts Linked to Hospital

An investigative police team found two bank accounts established to receive public donations for Metta Pracharak (Wat Rai Khing) Hospital. However, no transactions have been made from these accounts to the hospital for the past three years, even though two donation boxes linked to the accounts remain displayed at the temple.

Background of the Hospital and Donation Accounts

The hospital was built by the temple using public donations on temple land and was subsequently handed over to the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Services to operate.

The two accounts in question are the Metta Pracharak Foundation account and the account dedicated to supporting medical equipment for the hospital.

Previously, these accounts regularly transferred collected donations to the hospital. The foundation’s account also funded training for the hospital’s medical students.

Financial Aid Ceased After New Abbot Appointment

Sources from the hospital reported that after Yaem Intrangkrungkao, aged 70, became abbot, transactions from both accounts to the hospital decreased in 2021 and 2022 before completely stopping.

In response, the hospital management sought permission from the temple’s lay management committee to install a new donation box and open a new bank account independent of the abbot’s control.

Hospital Takes Independent Action to Collect Donations

Hospital officials began collecting donations directly from the new box. They also noted that the original two donation boxes remained at the temple, despite no funds being transferred to the hospital from them.

Police Freeze Accounts Amid Embezzlement Investigation

The two bank accounts are among 53 accounts police have frozen linked to Yaem, who was arrested last week on charges of embezzling hundreds of millions of baht from the temple. He and three other suspects are now facing charges and have been remanded in custody.

Police reported that the Metta Pracharak Foundation account and the medical equipment account currently hold only about 1 million baht combined. Authorities are investigating transaction histories to determine the whereabouts of the missing funds.

(2025/05/21-00:00)