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Published on November 9, 2007

Quoting monks at Wat Wang Nam Khao in Sam Phran district, police said Phra Khru Sangkharat Wasantachai had been called from his breakfast on Wednesday morning to meet some visitors. Suphoj Puengjaroen said he found the abbot unconscious later in the day and took him to the provincial hospital.

Sam Phran police are questioning Suphoj and Wichai Kang-nguanchai, the only two people, apart from the abbot, who knew the combination to open the safety deposit box that contained Bt1,982,800, which has gone missing.

No evidence of forced entry or messy searches has been found.

Suphoj claimed he found the unconscious monk when he went there to pick up the money. He said he was going to deposit the funds, donated in a Kathin ceremony on November 2, in a bank. Both men are responsible for donations and the temple's finances.

Dr Thareerat Tuangthong said she had found an unknown toxic substance in the abbot's stomach. His condition turned critical at 3.15am yesterday and he was pronounced dead an hour later.

Forensic experts are looking for traces of poison in the bottle of soda that the abbot had apparently consumed on Wednesday.

The Nation