Three men soliciting donations for temple construction in Ratchaburi were arrested after police learned the trio was, in fact, pocketing the money.
Sarawut Kaewto, 28, Chatchawan Kerdrian, 25, and Tawan Jekkoi, 24, were apprehended by Sattahip Police June 17. The three Bangpae men were caught with cheaply printed flyers advertising a fund-raising effort for a Buddhist temple in Khao Prarattanatraithepnimit in Ratchaburi along with 9,447 baht.
Talk about bad karma: Sarawut Kaewto, Chatchawan Kerdrian and Tawan Jekkoi have been arrested for duping devout Buddhists out of hundreds of thousands of baht in a bogus charity temple construction scam.
Police Maj. Parus Samart said the suspects had been duping unsuspecting Buddhists across Thailand for some time, collecting as much as 300,000 baht a month in bogus donations. The money was allegedly sent back home to the men’s families.
Sattahip police urged people to be careful when making donations and noted that genuine solicitors have licenses to ask for donations. The three arrested men lacked any such license.
