A former foreign volunteer at Phra Bat Nampu Temple claimed that she faced a death threat allegedly because her work improved the health of AIDS patients, resulting in reduced donations to the temple.
Phra Bat Nampu Temple in the central province of Lop Buri and its abbot, Alongkot Ponlamun, have come under public scrutiny, not for its patient care efforts, but for alleged fraud.
Concerns over the abbot and temple staff emerged after spiritual medium Sakesan “Bee” Subsuebsakun, also known as Bee the Ghost Ambassador, was accused of embezzling temple donations.
Bee denied the allegations but remains under police investigation. His case prompted officers to expand their probe into the temple’s finances, the abbot’s dealings, and temple property. Investigators found suspicious ownership records of more than 760 acres of land purchased with donated funds.
The land was expected to belong to the temple or its affiliated AIDS organisation, but the registered owners were discovered to be relatives of the temple’s late manager. Large amounts of donated goods were discovered left unused and abandoned, rather than being distributed to AIDS patients.
These revelations led the public to question how donations were managed. Prominent Thai doctor Manoon Leechawengwongs reignited the discussion by reposting an earlier Bangkok Post article, featuring the testimony of a former foreign volunteer, identified under the pseudonym Leslie.
Leslie explained that she began volunteering at the temple in 2003, where she conducted blood tests and X-rays and cared for patients. She also used her own money to buy essentials such as nappies and medicines.
According to Leslie, Thai doctor Jurirat Bowornwattanawong successfully secured HIV medication for the patients, but both she and the volunteers were later told to stop providing the treatment.
Later, the manager of the temple and the Thai nurses blocked Leslie and the other volunteers from taking care of patients. Gradually, each volunteer left the temple, but Leslie chose to stay. Unfortunately, she was eventually threatened and asked to leave.
She added that the temple staff had issued a death threat against her and had punctured her motorcycle tyres, which prompted her to leave for safety reasons. She left in 2004, after which no further nurses or volunteers remained.
She believed the volunteers were dismissed because their efforts made patients healthier, which resulted in reduced donations.
Jurirat gave a similar account in a Channel 8 interview, stating that Abbot Alongkot asked her and the foreign volunteers to withhold medication temporarily so that a film crew could record patients before and after treatment.
The doctor refused, insisting that stopping treatment would harm the patients’ health, and suggested waiting for new patients instead.
Jurirat said she only visited the temple once a month and was therefore unaware of many of the daily issues faced by volunteers. She later learned of them from Leslie and others after they had left.
Amid the mounting controversy, Alongkot announced his resignation yesterday, August 19. However, officials stressed that he cannot evade legal consequences should he be found guilty, regardless of his resignation.
The investigation into Bee’s alleged embezzlement, along with the temple’s finances and property dealings, is ongoing. No legal action has yet been concluded against anyone involved.
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