Nun and Buddhism office deny financial irregularities at Samut Sakhon temple

The Samut Sakhon Provincial Buddhism Office and a senior nun have denied allegations of financial irregularities at Wat Ketmadi Sriwararam, which were raised by the well-known Facebook page CSI LA.

Sirinthip Saeli, 62, and the provincial Buddhism Office stated that no wrongdoing had occurred at the temple, contrary to the claims made by the page on Saturday.

Accusations of Mismanagement and Land Control

The CSI LA Facebook page alleged that Sirinthip and her younger sister, who is also a nun, controlled the temple’s financial affairs without oversight from the abbot or his lay assistant responsible for finances.

The page further claimed that, in the absence of checks and balances from the abbot, the temple's management committee, and a financial manager, the nun sisters had turned the temple into a family-run enterprise.

CSI LA also alleged the nuns were custodians of 1,000 rai of land on behalf of the temple and that the temple had received approximately 100 million baht in donations, with the nuns named as the primary donors despite having no discernible source of income. These donations, the page suggested, could be linked to money laundering. The post also accused the nuns of awarding themselves bonuses and taking luxurious trips—wearing wigs—while claiming to be fundraising.

Nun Responds to Allegations

On Sunday, Sirinthip publicly denied all accusations. She said she was ordained at the temple in 2015 due to her deep faith and had acted only in the temple’s best interests.

She dismissed the claim that she held 1,000 rai of land, clarifying that she owned only six rai adjacent to the temple and had already included the land in her will to be donated to the temple upon her passing.

Sirinthip also stated that photos showing her at a resort were from 2014, prior to her ordination, and therefore irrelevant. She suggested the false information may have come from a former nun who had been expelled from the temple by the abbot.

In terms of donations, she said the temple received between 60 to 70 million baht per year, not 100 million as claimed.

Buddhism Office Confirms Compliance and Transparency

On the same day, Sawart Saetan, Director of the Samut Sakhon Buddhism Office, and Itthithorn Seeluang, an officer from the same office, visited the temple and addressed reporters.

Sawart clarified that the temple was in the process of appointing a permanent financial affairs manager, and the current manager was only acting in an interim capacity. She added that a management committee was appointed on a case-by-case basis, typically when the temple held major events.

Importantly, Sawart said the land deeds of temple property were securely held at the office, and the nun did not control any temple land, contrary to what was claimed online.

She concluded that the temple had consistently submitted annual financial reports to the Buddhism Office, and no irregularities had been found.