Close Associate of Disgraced Abbot Detained for Questioning
Police detained a close associate of disgraced Abbot Choti for questioning in a 92 million baht embezzlement case involving the former Ayutthaya temple leader arrested on charges of financial misconduct and money laundering.
Police brought close associate Punyavee, 47, to the Crime Suppression Division on September 10 for further interrogation in connection with the case of former Abbot Choti. She maintained silence and declined to answer any media questions during the transfer. Officers noted she was wearing a silver Chao Phra Jatukham Ramathep amulet around her neck—a sacred object created by the former abbot.
Former Abbot Choti, 66-year-old Vichiryanan, abbot of Putthai Sawan Temple in Ayutthaya Province, was arrested on a court warrant issued September 8. He faces multiple charges: embezzlement, dereliction of duty, misconduct as a state official, and conspiracy to launder money. Investigators allege he diverted temple funds for personal use and then transferred the misappropriated assets—totaling over 92 million baht—through associates to obscure their origins. He was apprehended at his temple quarters.
During her transfer for questioning, Punyavee appeared composed but declined to comment when media asked whether she had worked with the former abbot for an extended period, whether she would confess, or whether she felt remorseful. Reporters noted her demeanor remained blank throughout the process.
