TAK: The abbot of a temple, Wat Pa Mai Dungdee, in Mae Sot district of this northern border province has only 100 baht left after a thief broke into his room early Sunday and made off with about 20,000 baht in donations, police said.
The burglary, which occurred at about 3am, was reported to police by Vorapol Khamthep, the assistant chief of Ban Wang Takhian village in tambon Tha Sai Luat.
Police examined the temple's living quarters and found the glass partition of his room had been smashed with a hard object, leaving a hole large enough for a person to slip into the abbot's room.
Phra Somchai Kawesako, the 58-year-old abbot, said that he discovered the forced entrywhen he returned from a funeral at Ban Wang Takhian.
He went into his room and found that several envelopes had been ripped open and left on a table. They had contained a total of about 20,000 baht.
The abbot said the money had been donated to the temple by villagers, and he now had only 100 baht left.
Since Phra Somchai is the only monk at the temple, he goes out himself to collect alms from local villagers. The donations are given in exchange for performing various religious ceremonies.
Police were looking for the culprit.