A thief disguised as a tourist slipped into a well-known temple in central Chiang Rai and stole a donation bowl. The thief placed the bowl in a black trash bag and calmly carried it away from the scene. Thankfully the incident was caught on security cameras.
On Saturday, reporters followed up on the case, which happened at Wat Ming Muang (วัดมิ่งเมือง) on Trairat Road in Wiang Subdistrict, Muang Chiang Rai District. Phra Nitipong Srithana, the temple’s abbot, shared details of the incident. According to Phra Nitipong at around 9 a.m., a woman dressed in black was seen walking around the temple, appearing to inspect the donation boxes.
She seemed to try opening one but failed because each was locked. After a while, she left the temple.
Later, at 2:08 p.m., a man entered, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, a black cap, and a face mask, carrying a bag and looking just like a regular tourist. The monk suspects the man and the woman worked together, and she may have scoped out the area earlier and tipped him off.
Phra Nitipong explained that the stolen bowl held money donated by locals and tourists. People gave money during merit-making and to write their names on gold sheets to be placed under the base of the Phra Buddha Mahathammaracha Chiang Saen statue.
The monk estimates there was about 2,000 to 3,000 baht in the bowl. Normally, the bowl was kept inside the temple hall, but due to recent Songkran festivities, it had been moved closer to the door on April 17 for a merit event. The theft occurred the following day.
Phra Nitipong described how the thief entered wearing a cap and mask, took a black trash bag from a bin near the temple hall door, put the donation bowl inside, and calmly carried it out.
He was last seen walking toward the wall beside the chapel. The monk thinks the thief likely climbed over this low wall to escape.
Phra Nitipong said they discovered the donations bowl was missing around 6 p.m. Security camera footage showed the thief taking the bowl at about 2 p.m., but the video quality was too poor to identify his face.
Because of this, the temple hasn’t reported the theft to the police. They instead asked a local youth to share the story on social media hoping someone might recognize the thief and provide tips.
This isn’t the first time the temple has had problems with theft. In 2023, a different thief stole money from another donation bowl but was eventually caught. There have also been several other incidents, but most went unreported because of a lack of evidence.
The monk believes the temple’s low walls and few, outdated cameras make it easy for thieves to get away, especially since the temple is in a busy part of town. Going forward, the temple plans to ask for more and newer security cameras to better protect donation boxes and other valuable items.
About Wat Ming Muang
Wat Ming Muang is a historic Buddhist temple in central Chiang Rai, Thailand, located at the intersection of Trai Rat and Banpha Prakan Roads. Founded in 1262 during the reign of King Mengrai the Great, it’s one of the city’s oldest temples, built as a memorial to his mother, Queen Chommuang (also known as Queen Thep Kamkayai).
Originally called Wat Chang Moop, meaning “Temple of the Crouching Elephant” due to royal elephants bowing here, it was renamed Wat Ming Muang (“Auspicious Temple of the City”) in 1970 when it was officially recognized as a Buddhist temple.
Wat Ming Muang is less touristy than Chiang Rai’s famous White Temple or Blue Temple but is cherished by locals for its cultural and spiritual significance. Visitors praise its ornate decorations, colorful murals, and serene atmosphere, with some noting its stunning nighttime appearance when lights reflect off its surfaces.
Wat Ming Muang is free to enter, open daily from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and takes about 15-40 minutes to explore.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
