Daorung: From Revered Monk to Infamous Thief in Thailand’s Aranyaprathet

Once a revered monk, now just a cautionary tale, 54-year-old Daorung has managed to find himself on the wrong side of the law. Known for his tranquil days at Wat Don Mai Fai, Aranyaprathet’s serene village temple, Daorung recently found himself in an entirely different environment: the relentless pursuit by Police Colonel Wisit Buasongwong’s team, following a rather ill-chosen career path as a thief.

His tale begins innocuously enough in Sa Kaeo province where, after a tenure in the monkhood, he swapped meditation for intoxication. Bend after bend in the bottle blurred the boundary between reality and imagination. Soon, he found himself taking wildlife advice from hallucinations urging him to wield a kitchen knife and plunder the peaceful temple’s donation box. The spoils? A cool 18,000 baht—an amount that, unfortunately, whispered loudly enough for Daorung to indulge his thirst further.

In a scene that nearly sounds plucked from fiction, Daorung counted his new fortune, almost reminiscent of Scrooge McDuck’s daily dives into his vault. But numbers never lie, and 18,000 baht (roughly US$555) was the figure to remember. Realizing he couldn’t squander his ill-gotten gains in familiar surroundings, he cleverly hopped onto a bus bound for Aranyaprathet, the sleepy town now unknowingly complicit in his dodgy escapades.

With a touch of irony, Daorung sought sanctuary in temples, train stations, and bus stations—nightcaps under the starry sky his unexpected penance. Half of his chanced-on jackpot vanished promptly, poured down the channels of liquor bottles and café tables, painting a story of misfortune and merriment. Fate, however, dealt an unforgiving hand, as the remaining 8,000 baht (US$245) disappeared one murky night, the hands of deceitful sleep stealing it away.

After a kaleidoscope of blunders and brief comfort, Daorung ultimately couldn’t dodge his dogged pursuers—or his own overwhelming remorse. Shackled, yet seemingly lighter with his confession, he owned up to his misdemeanors. Emotion unraveling, Daorung voiced his heartfelt apologies to the temple’s abbot and its community of peaceful souls, promising he’d gone rogue solo.

Legal proceedings commenced, the shadow of the law now looming over Daorung as Police Lieutenant Samruay Obklang took the reins. The charges of nighttime theft—and perhaps some entertaining tales of dreams of riches under the spell of spirits—were prepared, setting the stage for Daorung’s next chapter.

Just down the line, in another episode of temple thievery, police nabbed Piyaphan, a 42-year-old caught on CCTV swiping 5,000 baht from donation boxes. The unholy shenanigans were swiftly handled by Police Colonel Worayut Pongtan whose officers uncovered Piyaphan’s hideout, writing yet another crime saga on Thailand’s bustling streets.

These bizarre events only scratch the surface of Thailand’s recent heist headlines. From a snack thief threatening with scissors to a luxury watch scam in Bangkok, it seems the Land of Smiles is experiencing its very own crime caper season.

As Daorung’s narrative unfolds, it perhaps leaves a lasting lesson: the fine line between tranquility and turmoil. And in those silent moments staring at the temple’s walls, he might just wonder if the siren’s song of spirits was worth the cascade of consequences, or simply echoes bouncing off the hollow vessels of past choices.