Khon kaen: Two individuals have been arrested for a series of thefts, including the stealing of a donation box from Wat That Phra Aram Luang temple. The suspects, known for their devout nature, repeatedly targeted the temple's safe and later a local coffee shop, but were eventually apprehended and compelled to seek forgiveness.

According to Thai News Agency, CCTV footage documented three distinct incidents involving the suspects. The first incident occurred on April 22nd at around 3:00 AM, when the two suspects entered the temple through an unsecured back door. They took a donation box weighing over 200 kg and damaged it against a wall. On April 24th, they struck again, this time at the Phra That Nakhon Daem pagoda at Wat That Phra Aram Luang, stealing approximately 20,000 baht in coins. By April 29th, they had also broken into a coffee shop to commit further theft. The CCTV footage captured their appearances in each of these incidents.

Karma intervened on April 25, 2026, when the suspects were involved in a motorcycle accident with a car. Police identified them from accident photos and matched their likenesses to those wanted for the thefts. Subsequently, the authorities arrested Mr. Moraphon, 23, with prior offenses related to theft, drugs, and custody escape, and Mr. Sakchai, 22, who was found with drugs and charged with "possession and use of narcotics." Both faced charges of jointly committing nighttime theft and were taken to the crime scenes to reenact their actions and apologize in the temple's main hall.

During interrogation, the suspects admitted to the crimes, citing a need for funds to cover daily expenses and purchase methamphetamine. They were unemployed at the time. Following their confessions, they were brought to the crime scene to identify the locations and express their apologies in front of the temple before being handed over to legal authorities for further proceedings.