Temple Donation Dispute Settled in Ranong Court
A Ranong court resolved a temple donation dispute after the former abbot of Wat Weluwvan withdrew his embezzlement allegations against three fundraising committee members, acknowledging through mediation that the 1.3 million baht was proper
A legal dispute over alleged misappropriation of temple donation funds has been resolved through mediation at Ranong Provincial Court on August 15, 2569. Former abbot Phra Kru Phattharasorn of Wat Weluwvan temple in Kraburee District, Ranong Province, initially filed complaints against three fundraising committee members—Thanit Buakhaew, Pichay Ohnthes, and Suwit Chanthang—accusing them of embezzling 1,313,331.99 baht in donations from the 2567 robe-offering ceremony.
The three accused responded by countersuing the former abbot for filing false reports and defamation. The court initially accepted the false report charge but dismissed the defamation claim. When the case reached mediation on July 14, the former abbot acknowledged his misunderstanding after reviewing evidence. He confirmed that the three committee members had never used the funds for personal gain but had properly collected and spent the donations on constructing the temple's main chapel as intended. The former abbot publicly apologized to all three defendants and consented to allow them to use the court's findings to clarify the facts to the media and public.
With both sides reaching an understanding and the three plaintiffs agreeing to withdraw their lawsuit, the court approved the dismissal. Suwit Chanthang, who also serves as a local subdistrict council member, later stated that he and the other two committee members had had no contact with the former abbot regarding the matter and were significantly harmed by the false accusations, particularly during local election campaigning. The dispute has now been fully resolved through the court-mediated settlement.
