 "How a woman seduced Thai monks, then blackmailed them with photos and videos")
A sexual scandal involving multiple Buddhist monks has rocked Thailand. Police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks and then blackmailing them using photos and videos of the acts.
The developments have shaken Thailand’s Buddhist institution, which has witnessed several scandals involving monks in recent years. What is the latest case?
We will explain.
Thai temple sex scandal
Thai police arrested a woman on Tuesday (July 15) who allegedly seduced Buddhist monks and then extorted money from them.
The woman, identified as Wilawan Emsawat, 35, was arrested at her home in the Nonthaburi province north of Thailand ’s capital, Bangkok, as per an Associated Press (AP) report.
She allegedly had sex with at least nine abbots and senior monks at famous temples in many provinces. The woman is facing several charges, including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods.
The monks involved in the sexual scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said.
Thai monks are required to be celibate and refrain from even touching a woman.
How woman blackmailed Thai monks
The case came to light after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood last month, the Thai police said.
Investigators found that the woman “had a relationship” with the monk in May 2024. She later told him she was pregnant with his baby and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht in child support, Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, said.
Police then discovered that the woman had also blackmailed other monks, who had similarly transferred money to her, which they said was her “modus operandi”, reported BBC.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPolice believed “this woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible,” Jaroonkiat said.
During a search of her house earlier this month, the investigators found her mobile phones contained more than 80,000 photos and videos that were used to blackmail the monks. They also came across various chat logs signalling intimacy with several monks, many of which could have been used to extort money.
According to the police, the woman received 385 million baht (about Rs 101.7 crore) over the past three years. They said nearly all of the money has been withdrawn and some of it was used for online gambling, reported BBC.
Wilawan, who police are calling “Ms Golf”, deliberately targeted senior monks for financial gain, they said.
The woman admitted having a relationship with a monk while speaking to local media before her arrest, but claimed she had given money to him, as per AP.
About 15 monks are suspected of having a “special relationship” with the woman. Ten have already left the monkhood as of Wednesday (July 16), reported The Bangkok Post.
Thai monks under scrutiny
The sex scandal has put a spotlight on Thai monks and large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots.
In recent years, the Buddhist institution in the Southeast Asian country has been haunted by allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking.
In 2022, all four monks of a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun were arrested in a drug raid and cast out of monkhood.
Wirapol Sukphol, a monk known for his lavish lifestyle, was charged with sex offences, fraud and money laundering in 2017.
The latest sex scandal has prompted Thai police to set up a Facebook page for people to report “misbehaving monks".
“We will investigate monks across the country. I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes,” Jaroonkiat said.
After the scandal broke, the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body for Thai Buddhism, said it would form a special committee to review monastic regulations.
“There is a need to address loopholes in monastic law and restore public trust”, Chatchapol Chaiyaporn, the council’s acting secretary general, was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.
The Thai government is also considering harsher punishments, including fines and jail time, for monks who violate the monastic code.
Currently, there is no law in Thailand that punishes wayward monks or laypersons who cause damage to the religion.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has directed authorities to review and consider tightening existing laws related to monks and temples, particularly the transparency of temple finances, to restore faith in Buddhism, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Tuesday.
With inputs from agencies
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