Professor steals "King Taksin sword", blames mental blackout

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT — 14 May 2026, Thai police said they had recovered a ceremonial sword associated with King Taksin, the 18th-century Siamese king credited with reunifying Thailand after the fall of Ayutthaya, after it was allegedly stolen from a temple in southern Thailand by a university assistant professor who later claimed he had taken it unknowingly.

The theft was discovered on 12 May after staff at Wat Nang Phraya in Nakhon Si Thammarat found that two sacred items had gone missing from temple buildings.

The missing items included a ceremonial "King Taksin sword" displayed inside the Mae Nang Phraya shrine and valued at about 30,000 baht. Temple officials said the sword had previously been donated by a devotee in fulfilment of a vow.

A red crystal orb valued at about 2,500 baht was also reported missing from the Jatukham Ramathep shrine within the temple grounds.

Police said security camera footage showed the suspect entering the temple during the morning while the area was relatively quiet before leaving with the items.

Investigators later identified the suspect as a 40-year-old assistant professor at a well-known university. Officers traced him to a house in Ron Phibun district, where his parents told police he had been receiving psychiatric treatment linked to family-related stress at Songklanagarind Hospital.

According to police, the suspect claimed he had taken the sword "without realising what he was doing".

Authorities said the man became agitated during discussions with officers and verbally confronted Phra Khru Palat Boonrit Wijjadharo, abbot of Wat Nang Phraya, in front of police before being restrained and transferred to Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital for further examination.

Police said legal proceedings would continue following medical evaluation.