Royal Thai Police have arrested Tawan and Worawan, a 31-year-old couple, for defrauding the public through fake temple donation pages during the Kathin festival. The couple set up pages on Facebook titled Dhamma Rai Chuen Tawan and We Love Making Merit to solicit donations for a non-existent temple in Phop Phra district, exploiting the cultural inclination of Thai people to contribute to charitable causes during the festival.
The fraud began in October when the couple used the images of an injured monk and fabricated stories of a supposed temple needing funds. The posts attracted donations from several users, raising over 1 million baht across multiple bank accounts. However, some users flagged the pages as fraudulent, and investigations soon revealed that the temple did not exist.
Police tracked down Tawan and Worawan to a resort in Tak province, where they were apprehended. During questioning, Tawan confessed to the scam, admitting that the initial intent was charity, but personal financial struggles, including car loans and gambling debts, led him to squander the funds on gambling.
Tawan expressed remorse, stating, “I thought I would truly donate at first, but the large sums coming in were irresistible due to my many financial burdens. I ended up squandering all the money on gambling and now live in hiding because of family disputes.”
Worawan, however, denied any knowledge of the fraud, claiming she focused on childcare and used the funds transferred by her husband for family expenses. Despite her claims, both faces charges of public fraud and introducing false information into a computer system.
The couple is now in the custody of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau 4, facing legal action as the investigation continues. This case highlights the dangers of online scams during cultural events, where trust in charitable causes can be easily exploited for personal gain.
