On September 16, 2026, Thailand's Crime Suppression Division continued its asset inspection at Wat Phutthaisawan in Ayutthaya province, focusing on the monk's quarters beside the temple's main ordination hall once used by former abbot Ajarn Chote (Phra Ajarn Chote). Police said a check of the temple's bank accounts found that one account holding roughly 71 million baht (about $2 million) showed no connection to the embezzlement case under investigation, and they are now moving to lift the freeze on it and hand the former abbot's quarters back to the monastic community. Several Thai outlets also reported that other previously sealed areas of the temple, including its crematorium, are being gradually returned for public use.
The Case So Far: A Jatukam Amulet Master Under Investigation
Ajarn Chote is the disrobed former abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan and one of the most influential creators of the Jatukam Ramathep amulet, the talisman that triggered a nationwide craze in Thailand and remains a fixture of the wealth-amulet category. Readers can find his full background in our earlier profile, Phra Ajarn Chote of Wat Phutthaisawan and His Jatukam Amulets. In August 2026, he was arrested and disrobed over allegations of embezzling more than 92 million baht in temple funds; police subsequently seized cash and gold from the temple worth over 215 million baht, as covered in our earlier reports Wat Phutthaisawan Abbot Arrested and Disrobed Over 92 Million Baht and Wat Phutthaisawan Scandal Widens: $6.6M in Gold and Cash Seized. It bears repeating that the case remains at the police investigation stage — Ajarn Chote has not been convicted by any court.
Why the 71-Million-Baht Account Is Being Unfrozen
According to Thai outlets Dailynews and Komchadluek, investigators traced the money flow through the temple's various accounts one by one. One account, worth about 71 million baht, was found to have no apparent link to the ongoing embezzlement probe, prompting police to begin lifting its freeze and returning the adjacent monk's quarters to temple administration. This does not mean the case is closed: police stressed that other accounts and money trails remain under active investigation, and additional individuals connected to the case are still being examined. For collectors following the story, this is best read as a sign the investigation is narrowing down which funds are clean and which remain in question, not as a resolution.
New Focus: A Temple Treasurer and a Separate 92-Million-Baht Trail
Separately, Thairath reported that investigators have expanded their inquiry to a lay temple treasurer (waiyawatchakon) suspected of moving more than 92 million baht to related parties' accounts. The treasurer was summoned for questioning, and police seized items from the temple, including a round table and filing cabinets, as evidence of the money trail. It remains unclear whether this will become a separate case or how it connects legally to the charges against Ajarn Chote.
What This Means for Amulet Collectors
Wat Phutthaisawan's Jatukam Ramathep series is among the most widely circulated and longest-running wealth amulets in the Thai market — background collectors can find in our guide Jatukam Ramathep: The Modern Thai Amulet Phenomenon Explained. Since Ajarn Chote's arrest, secondary-market prices for pieces bearing his consecration have fluctuated, and collectors remain divided on whether the founder's legal troubles affect the amulets' spiritual standing or resale value. Today's development — the partial account unfreeze and the return of temple property — signals that at least part of the original allegations may not hold up, which could ease some market anxiety in the short term. But the core embezzlement allegation, and the newly seized cash and gold, are still under investigation and unproven in court. Buyers considering a Wat Phutthaisawan Jatukam piece should continue to verify certificates and provenance rather than read too much into headlines about the case "cooling down."