80,000 sex videos, Rs 100-crore extortion: Scandal rocks Thailand's monks

It started with the sudden disappearance of a senior monk from a Bangkok temple in June. The Houdini act prompted an investigation, which uncovered a saga of blackmail, sex, extortion, rocking Thailand's much-revered Buddhist institution, The Guardian reported.

The investigation into the disappearance of senior monk Phra Thep Wachirapamok led police to the residence of a woman named "Ms Golf", who has been identified as Wilawan Emsawat.

During searches, the police stumbled upon mobile phones containing tens of thousands (around 80,000) of intimate photos and videos of Emsawat with Wachirapamok and several other monks. The incident came as a bolt out of the blue for Thailand, whose monks are known as world renouncers and strictly follow their vow of celibacy.

WHO IS MS GOLF, AKA WILAWAN EMSAWAT?

Emsawat, 30, was arrested and charged with extortion and money laundering. Her modus operandi involved seducing monks, recording intimate moments with them, and extorting huge sums of money by threatening to leak the videos.

So far, police have found that Emsawat had relations with at least nine monks, who have now been defrocked, The Guardian reported. She received around 385 million baht (over Rs 102 crore) over the past three years from the monks.

However, the missing monk is yet to be traced. Police said Emsawat had a relationship with the monk in May 2024. She claimed to have given birth to his baby and demanded child support of more than seven million baht (1.90 crore).

A probe into her bank accounts revealed that other monks had also transferred large amounts of money. She also received private gifts from monks as well as lavish items like a Mercedes-Benz SLK200. Police found that most funds were spent on online gambling.

However, Emsawat, speaking to local media before her arrest, claimed she was involved in only one relationship, and she gave money to that monk.

SCANDAL ROCKS THAILAND

With the scandal garnering global headlines, Thai police have opened a hotline for people to tip off on "misbehaving monks".

The case has also drawn police attention to the large sums of money donated to Buddhist temples. The money is controlled by senior monks, known as abbots.

The scandal has prompted Thailand's acting Prime Minister to order a review of laws governing monk behaviour and temple finances. The Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body for Buddhism in Thailand, has also formed a special committee to review regulations.

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