Woman swindled B4m from 2 temple abbots

Woman swindled B4m from 2 temple abbots

Duangjai Thanomklin, 34, arrested for swindling money from two temple abbots in Samut Prakan, gives her statement to police. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
Duangjai Thanomklin, 34, arrested for swindling money from two temple abbots in Samut Prakan, gives her statement to police. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)

A woman car care shop owner accused of swindling more than 4 million baht from two temple abbots in Samut Prakan has been arrested in the province's Bang Sao Thong district.

Duangjai Thanomklin, 34, alias Pla, was apprehended near Wat Sao Thong Klang around 7pm on Thursday, police said.

Her arrest followed a complaint filed by Phra Khru Boonlert Rojanathammo, 78, abbot of Wat Sao Thong Klang that Ms Duangjai had swindled about 3.1 million baht of the temple's money from him. He said she claimed she needed to borrow the money to cover court fees to get hold of her inheritance, worth 80 million baht. 

She promised to pay back the loan immediately she had her inheritance, and to make a donation for the construction of a temple hall. She had failed to return the money as she promised, the abbot said in his complaint filed on Aug 11.

Pol Col Narong Chanapaikul, chief of Bang Sao Thong district police station, ordered an inquiry that later led to the arrest of Ms Duangjai.

The woman allegedly confessed she had defrauded the  abbot. She had gained his trust by regularly visiting the temple to make merit. After becoming a familiar face, she had approached the abbot and duped him into believing she would inherit money from her family, but needed cash to pay the court fees.  

To make her story more credible, she had shown land title deeds to the abbot. She had obtained those land titles from other people who had asked her to help sell the land.

Police said Ms Duangjai had also allegedly swindled money from Phra Samut Prachuap Uppasanto, 60, abbot of nearby Wat Sao Thong Nok.  The woman had borrowed 1,030,000 from the monk by claiming  to be a close relative of the abbot of Wat Sao Thong Klang.

After deceiving the two abbots, she had used the money to pay the monthly instalments due on her house and her car, and to cover expenses at her car care shop in Bangkok’s Rom Klao area, police said.

The woman had also given part of the money to her close friend Suwimon Thongboonrawd.

Ms Duanjai was charged with colluding to swindle the abbots. Police said they were tracking down Ms Suwimon.

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