‘Unusually rich’ former Buddhism office chief arrested in Texas

A former director-general of Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism (NOB), Nopparat Benjawattanon, has been arrested in the United States on charges of large-scale embezzlement of temple development funds.

Arrest in Texas Follows Extradition Request

US Marshals provisionally arrested Nopparat while he was receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Texas, acting on a formal extradition request from the Thai government. He will still have the opportunity to contest the extradition in a Texas court.

Nopparat had fled Thailand in 2017, after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) launched an investigation into his wealth, which was deemed unusually high and unexplainable—totalling over 500 million baht.

Temple Development Fund Embezzlement Scheme

Nopparat and several alleged accomplices, including former NOB officials, were accused of a coordinated scheme involving the misappropriation of temple restoration funds. The practice involved approving budgets for temple repairs or development and then demanding that temples return a significant portion of the funds, which were allegedly divided among the conspirators.

These widely publicised cases became known as "change from temple funds" scandals.

Assets Frozen by Anti-Money Laundering Office

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) previously froze assets belonging to Nopparat worth 94.2 million baht. He is accused of misappropriating funds on at least four separate occasions. His alleged partners in the scheme included:

• Panom Sornsilp, former NOB director-general
• Pranom Kongpikul, former NOB deputy chief

The NACC has concluded investigations into 36 out of 47 cases linked to the trio.

Longstanding Pattern of Corruption

Nopparat, who rose to the top NOB post in 2010, allegedly engineered the misuse of temple funds between 2012 and 2016. He is accused of orchestrating financial aid approvals for temple restoration, monks' education, and Buddhism promotion—with the condition that 76–90% of the funds be returned and shared among his accomplices.

Temples affected by the alleged scheme span numerous provinces, including Phetchabun, Tak, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Saraburi, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram, Buri Ram, Surin, Bangkok, Lamphun, Chumphon, Amnat Charoen, Lampang, and Nakhon Sawan.

Key Allegations by the NACC

The NACC's findings against Nopparat include:

• Embezzling 5 million baht from overseas temple financial aid
• Siphoning 17 million baht from six temples
• Misappropriating 8 million baht from Wat Tak Fa in Nakhon Sawan
• Embezzlement related to Wat Phananchoen Worawihan in 2014 and 2018
• The NACC concluded that Nopparat had acquired at least 575 million baht in assets that could not be justified by his salary and declared income.