Netflix’s Thai series The Believers returns with another season; the series takes a close look at temple scams where shrewd businessmen and even monks profit from people’s vulnerability and faith. In the previous season, Win and his friends, Game and Dear, found themselves in trouble when Ms. Chamaiporn Klaiduang, also known as Ae, the local counselor, who had several illegal businesses on the side, caught a whiff of their operations. She was impressed by the trio’s business instinct, so she wanted them to work for her. It wasn’t really an offer they could refuse, because Ae threatened to kill their loved ones if they didn’t oblige. In season 2, we discover that Dear managed to make it out of Thailand. She traveled to the United States to live with her father. Although Ae had her men track her down at the airport, Game and Win begged her to let her go and promised that they could manage without her. Surprisingly, Ae allowed Dear to live, and during her trip to the US, she figured that she was ready to start a new business venture. Meanwhile, Win and Game were under the pressure to collect 1 billion Thai baht in merits that Ae planned on using to build a hospital in the locality. Win had to come up with a business strategy that would guarantee an immediate flow of money, so did he succeed? Also, did Win and Game manage to break free from Ae’s unforgiving grasp? Let’s find out.
Spoiler Alert
What was Ae’s plan with the hospital?
Ae planned on using the hospital as a front for her illegal operations. The hospital would help her gain popularity among the local people who had to travel far for medical emergencies and would now be able to rely on the hospital Ae promised to build for them. Most people who made donations did so to earn merits, and Ae believed that if they were told that their money was being used to build a hospital, then perhaps they wouldn’t mind making more donations than usual. But Win didn’t think that was enough reason to get people interested in making large donations in a short span of time. He came up with a smart business plan; he suggested that they digitally display the progress of the hospital so that people feel connected to the project. He also suggested they put up a giant golden tree, where every leaf would be divided into three categories of copper, silver, and gold, depending on the range of donations. The golden tree installation would make the whole project more tangible, and it would eventually become an attraction point that people would continue to visit the temple for. Soon, Win realized that even he needed something more attractive to ensure the massive progress that Ae expected from him. And all he could think of was another scam to fool the common people. He had sent Game with tons of cash to immediately buy all the lottery tickets in the locality that had the same number that was announced for the lucky draw. They created an illusion that made people believe the donors were “blessed,” and that this supposed blessing was the reason they happened to win the lottery. This obviously had people from all over the country traveling to make donations in the hope of winning the lottery. Ae knew that no one would suspect a hospital of illegal operations, especially one that was built with donation money. It was the perfect way to turn her dirty money white, and thanks to Win, she was close to her goal.
Was Win responsible for the collapse of the tree?
In season 2 of The Believers, time and again, we are reminded that the Buddha was watching and there was no escaping karma. The collapse of the golden tree was a clear sign of the doom that follows trickery. On the day of the groundbreaking ceremony, when hundreds of devotees had arrived at the temple, the tree collapsed, resulting in complete mayhem. Several were injured; there were dead bodies lying under the branches of the collapsed tree. The money-making installation didn’t stand the test of time. Most of the people who had made donations were interested in the instant reward they would receive in the form of a lottery win, and that was obviously not the kind of merit-making that Buddhism taught. The incident also sparked debate on whether the hospital project would be totally abandoned, since the fall of the tree was clearly a bad omen. Ae was busy making deals with doctors (encouraging them to carry out corrupt practices in her hospital for profit) when she learned about the news. She wasn’t as concerned about the accident as she was about the rapid transactions from the account where the donation money was deposited. She figured Win was behind whatever was happening, but her men only managed to find Game. She had her men torture Game; they even kidnapped his niece to keep him under pressure. Win had planned to transfer the donation money and run away, but he couldn’t leave when he saw Ae’s men take Game away. Helpless, he contacted Dear and begged her to help him out. She had returned to Thailand and had started a retreat business, and she preferred to keep her distance from the mess Win and Game were in. But she figured Win was in serious trouble and decided to help him out. Win had laid out a plan for her, and she just had to follow the steps to ensure that she and Win’s mother managed to leave the country before things got any more complicated. Win’s mother was under constant vigilance, and while she somehow managed to escape after she received a call from her son asking her to leave and wait for Dear to show up, by the time Dear arrived, Ae’s employee who was in charge of keeping an eye on Win’s mother had already caught up with her. Dear had no choice but to run the woman over with her car (she survived) and drive to the pier with Win’s mother.
Did Win manage to escape from Ae and her men?
Win ultimately chose not to abandon his friend, even if it meant risking his life. He followed Game to the factory Ae and his men had taken him to. He knew if he walked into the factory, he would have to surrender to Ae again, and this time, as soon as she got access to the money he’d transferred, she would kill him and Game (since they’d proved to be untrustworthy). So, he came up with a better plan. He lied to Ae’s brother, Aun, that a businessman from China wanted to make a donation to their political party. He had no clue about what Ae was up to. You see, Ae had always felt overshadowed by her brother. Her father’s obvious bias for her brother enraged her, and she felt the constant need to prove her worth. After her father had announced his son as his successor, she’d decided to distance herself from her family and start her own venture. So, when she saw her brother at the spot, she freaked out. He wasn’t supposed to know what she was up to, and she was all the more furious when he called his father and disclosed that Ae was at the factory and had a man held captive. He’d assumed that the stranger who was held captive was the businessman who’d promised to make a donation, and that Ae had tried to hijack the deal. Amid the confusion, there was a fire right outside the factory. Win had started the fire to add to the chaos, and he’d hoped the smoke would help Game escape. He’d also called the fire department so that Ae wouldn’t harm Game. But Ae was desperate, and she warned Aun to not leave the factory until she decided it was the right time. She wasn’t done with Game, and if she decided to walk out of the factory, she would have to momentarily let go of Game, and that would leave enough time to escape. In a desperate attempt to stop her brother, Ae shot him, and immediately a shootout followed between Ae and Aun’s men. The firefighters heard the gunshots, and they realized there was another emergency!
Win managed to enter the factory, and just as he was about to help Game escape, Ae shot him. Although she was injured, she couldn’t let go of the opportunity to kill the man who’d destroyed her grand plan. He and Game were admitted to a hospital, and although for a minute it looked like Win wouldn’t survive, in the penultimate episode, we find out that he made it. Ae, too, had recovered, but since her plan had failed, her father, Wut, had decided to take over the hospital project. Wut refused to forgive Ae, especially after the death of his son. Win and Game were at the mercy of Wut and Ae once again.
Were Ae and Wut punished?
Win had regained consciousness, but he’d asked his mother and Game not to disclose the news yet. As long as he pretended to be unconscious, he would have time to come up with a plan. Since Win and Game were constantly being watched by Wat’s men, there was no way they could leave the hospital, so they begged Dear to help them. Dear agreed to help them; after all, they were friends, and she couldn’t imagine abandoning them again. She was asked to access the locker in the library of the temple. The ex-abbot (who’d died in the tree collapse accident) had a habit of journaling every detail of his life, and in the process he’d also left the incriminating documents against Ae and Wut in the locker. Monk Ekachai caught Dol and Dear red-handed when they attempted to access the locker. When they explained that they were looking for incriminating documents against Wut, Ekachai didn’t stop them.
Ekachai was desperate to become the abbot of Nang Kahn temple, but a young monk had seen him get rough with a woman, and he’d video recorded the incident. As a result, Ekachai wasn’t being considered for the position. He figured that if Dol and Dear handed the evidence against Wut and Ae to the cops, then the present abbot, Deputy Vatin (who worked for Wut), would be removed from the position, and he would once again have a chance to become the head of the Nong Kahn temple. As the abbot, he would have access to the billion baht fund that had been collected, and considering he’d always been a corrupt monk, he had every intention of using the money to his advantage. The documents Dol and Dear had collected were handed over to the cops. By then, Win figured he could drop the act, and he agreed to transfer the billion baht to Wut’s account. Immediately after the transfer, the cops stormed into the hospital room and arrested Wut along with his men. Wut was questioned, and he was told that this time they had solid evidence against him. The billion baht that was in his account, the documents that were found in the abbot’s locker, and finally, the testimony of Win’s father, Anuwat Luckngam.
Win’s mother, with the help of the undertaker, had managed to track him down at a remote monastery in the hills. He had spent eighteen years of his life in hiding and was now ready to testify against the man who’d attempted to have him killed. Anuwat and Wut used to be board members of the Trai Burin Temple Foundation. So, presumably, when Anuwat discovered that the temple was being used to launder money, he raised a concern, and that was why Wut had attempted to remove him completely. There was also an eyewitness, the undertaker, who was a child when he’d witnessed Wut bring Anuwat’s body to his grandfather, who was tasked with getting rid of it. But as it turned out, Anuwat wasn’t dead when he was brought to be cremated. Wut was confident that he would find a way out of the situation; after all, he was an influential man with all the right connections. Ae left the country; perhaps she would keep a distance from her father until the dust settled. There is concrete evidence and witness testimony against Wut, so hopefully he will finally pay the price for his actions, although there is no doubt that the system continues to be corrupt and a man like Wut might just find a way out for himself.
Who killed Dear?
Dear was in her car; she and Dol decided to make offerings at a nearby temple before handing over the evidence to the cops. Dol had stepped out of the vehicle to buy some flowers, and he bought a red rose for Dear. He had fallen in love with her in the previous season, and she was the reason he’d started to question monkhood. He chose to live a regular life and reconnect with the world beyond the temple. From helping her with her retreat business to assisting her with exposing Wut and Ae, Dol had been Dear’s constant support. Dear planned on starting a retreat business with her friend, and she’d offered for Dol to join her. Dol didn’t really have a plan; all he cared about was being with Dear, so he genuinely considered tagging along with Dear when she asked him to join her. But unfortunately, at the end of “The Believers” season 2, we discover that one of Ae’s employees shot Dear. Presumably, she’d been following Dear after she escaped with Win’s mother, and when she saw Dear alone in the car, she chose to strike. Dol was devastated; Dear had become his entire world, and he didn’t know how to cope with her absence. The ending suggests that Dol took up monkhood again. Win and Game blamed themselves when they learned about Dear’s death. They didn’t realize that they were playing with fire when they started the temple scam, and by the time they figured out things were getting out of hand, it was too late. If only Dear had chosen not to build the NFT game that Win and Game had been working on, then maybe her life would have been a lot different.
What does the future have in store for Monk Ekachai?
Monk Ekachai was announced as the abbot of the Nang Khan temple. He enjoyed the power that came with the position, and now that Wut and Ae were also missing from the picture, he could do as his heart pleased.
In the end credits scene of The Believers season 2, Monk Ekachai was instructed by a senior monk to resume the hospital project now that the money had been transferred to the foundation again. It was obvious that Wut continued to influence temple decisions. The hospital would serve as an avenue for him to launder money, which was why he was eager to have it constructed without delay. Although he was facing severe charges, Wut was confident that he would be absolved of his crimes. Moreover, even if he ended up in prison, it’s likely he would find a way to keep his businesses running. The video of Ekachai attacking the woman (who ended up dead a couple days later; Ekachai had murdered her) was still with the monks, and they made it quite clear that they would use it against him if he didn’t comply. Ekachai realized that he was a mere puppet now, and it looks like he has no choice but to play along. After everything, Win and Game will hopefully stay away from temples and scams. We do not get to see Win reunite with his father; it may take him some time to process everything. Hopefully, Win will choose to spend a quiet life with his parents. The one thing that Win and Game had learned was that money can never buy happiness, so we can only hope that they will choose an honest life over an uncertain one. Considering Win had been in touch with the cops and helped them gather evidence against Ae and Wut, the cops will possibly spare him and Game for the scams they’d committed. It is unlikely that Wut will try to have his men kill Win and his parents, since he was already in a legal battle, and if he had his witnesses murdered, the accusations against him would simply be confirmed.
