Bangkok: Thai authorities have delayed a planned raid on Thailand's largest Buddhist temple to arrest its charismatic 72-year-old leader Phra Dhammachayo until after New Year celebrations.

Hundreds of police who had surrounded Wat Dhammakaya have withdrawn after moving obstacles and cutting a fence blocking access to its vast grounds on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Monks at Thailand's largest Buddhist temple Wat Dhammakaya accept an offering while police line up in the background.

Thousands of monks were chanting and vowing to create a human shield to prevent the arrest, raising the possibility of violence.

For months Phra Dhammachayo has refused to surrender to police on charges that include money laundering, receiving stolen property and encroaching on national forests.