Thai Monk Wins $588,000 Lottery, Forced to Hide After Beggars Storm Temple

Ajahn Montri Samujjo, a 67-year-old monk at Wat Thinnakorn Nimit in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand, won three lottery tickets worth 6 million Thai Baht ($196,300) each during the Sunday draw, according to Khaosod News via Thai Residents.

 

Montri, also known as Monk Piak, was walking in the temple when a ticket seller in need approached him and asked the monk if he could buy the tickets he could not sell anymore. Feeling bad for the man, he decided to borrow 2,000 Thai Baht ($65) from a fellow monk to help the seller.

When the draw day came, Monk Piak was surprised three of the tickets he bought matched the winning lottery numbers.

Monk Piak gave 1 million Thai Baht ($32,700) each to his three children and donated part of it to the temple and to those in need. The rest of the winnings will reportedly be reserved for more people in need in the future.

News of his lottery gained much attention online, and as a result, many people stormed the temple asking for donations. It became difficult for the monks to sleep at night, according to Coconuts Bangkok.

Assistant abbot Sitthi Woradit confirmed that Monk Piak no longer resided in their temple after he asked to be relocated to an undisclosed temple in another province.

“He went somewhere else. Please don’t come here again,” the assistant abbot said to local reporters. “It’s disturbing the monks and causing chaos.”

Featured Image Screenshots via CH3Thailand News