DSI drops case against Dhammachayo as legal time limit expires
The DSI said prosecutors had discontinued the money-laundering and receiving stolen property case against Phra Dhammachayo because the legal time limit had expired.
- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has dropped a special case against Phra Thep Yannamahamuni, also known as Phra Dhammachayo.
- The case was discontinued based on a prosecutor's order because the legal time limit, or statute of limitations, had expired.
- The charges involved allegations of money laundering and receiving stolen property.
- The case was connected to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative fraud investigation.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said in a letter dated March 20, 2026, that it had informed Thammanoon Atchoti of a prosecutor’s order to discontinue criminal proceedings in a special case involving alleged money laundering and receiving stolen property.
According to the letter, Thammanoon Atchoti and others had filed a complaint with the DSI asking it to take legal action against Phrathepyanmahamuni (Chaiboon Suthipol), also known as Phrarajbhavanavisudh or Phra Athikan Chaiboon Dhammachayo, and Sasithorn Chokprasit.
They were accused of conspiring to launder money, laundering money together and receiving stolen property.
The DSI accepted the complaint for investigation as special case 27/2016.
The DSI said prosecutors from the Special Prosecutor's Office 4 under the Office of the Attorney General later ordered the case against Phrathepyanmahamuni, listed as suspect No. 2, and Sasithorn Chokprasit, listed as suspect No. 5, to be dropped because the statute of limitations had expired.
In simple terms, the legal time limit for filing the criminal case had already run out.
The DSI said the complainants had to be notified of that decision.
The DSI said it was therefore informing the complainant of the prosecutors’ order to end the case.
The case stemmed from allegations made by Thammanoon Atchoti and others against Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, former chairman of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative; Phrathepyanmahamuni, or Chaiboon Suthipol, or Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya; Saranya Manmhad; Thongphin Kanlom; and Sasithorn Chokprasit, who were listed as suspects No. 1 to No. 5, respectively, in a case involving alleged joint money laundering linked to fraud at Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative.
