Thai police have apprehended a woman who allegedly engaged in sexual relations with Buddhist monks and subsequently used incriminating photos and videos to extort money from them.
During a press conference on Tuesday, police identified the woman as “Ms. Golf” and stated that she had sexual encounters with at least nine monks. Investigators believe she illicitly obtained approximately 385 million baht ($11.9 million; £8.8 million) over the past three years.
A police spokesperson confirmed that a search of her residence yielded over 80,000 photos and videos, which were utilized for blackmailing the monks.
This latest scandal has profoundly affected Thailand’s highly revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been marred by accusations of monks committing sexual offenses and engaging in drug trafficking.
Police indicated that the case first came to their attention in mid-June, following reports that an abbot in Bangkok had abruptly disrobed after being extorted by a woman.
According to police, Ms. Golf “had a relationship” with the monk in May 2024. She subsequently claimed to be pregnant with his child and demanded child support exceeding seven million baht.
Authorities later discovered that other monks had similarly transferred funds to Ms. Golf, which police identified as her “modus operandi.”
Police also noted that nearly all of the extorted money had been withdrawn, with some funds reportedly used for online gambling.
Earlier this month, during a search of Ms. Golf’s house, investigators confiscated her mobile phones and found more than 80,000 photos and videos that she had used to blackmail the monks, as reported by the police.
She faces multiple charges, including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods.
In response to the scandal, the police have established a hotline for the public to report “misbehaving monks.”
The photos and videos found on Ms. Golf’s phone, exceeding 80,000 in number, were used by her to blackmail the monks.
The scandal has prompted the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body for Thai Buddhism, to announce the formation of a special committee to review monastic regulations.
The government is also advocating for more severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for monks who violate the monastic code.
This week, Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command issued in June that had conferred higher titles upon 81 monks. He cited recent instances of misconduct, which he stated had “caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds.”
In Thailand, where over 90% of the population identifies as Buddhist, monks are held in high esteem. Many Thai men also opt to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good karma.
However, the Buddhist institution has faced numerous scandals in the recent past.
Wirapol Sukphol, a jet-setting monk renowned for his extravagant lifestyle, garnered international attention in 2017 when he was charged with sex offenses, fraud, and money laundering. More recently, in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun was left without any monks after all four of its resident monks were arrested in a drug raid and subsequently disrobed.
Despite years of criticism regarding disciplinary and accountability issues within the Thai Sangha, many observers contend that little substantial change has occurred in the centuries-old institution. Experts suggest that a significant part of the problem stems from its rigid hierarchy.
“It is an authoritarian system similar to the Thai bureaucracy where senior monks are like high-ranking officials and junior monks are their subordinates,” religious scholar Suraphot Thaweesak told BBC Thai. “When they see something inappropriate, they do not dare to speak up because it is very easy to be kicked out of the temple.”
Nevertheless, some view ongoing investigations, conducted by both the police and the Sangha council, as a crucial step towards implementing much-needed reform.
“The important thing is to reveal the truth so that the public can ease their doubts about the innocence of the Sangha,” stated Prakirati Satasut, a sociology scholar at Bangkok’s Thammasat University.
“It depends on whether the Supreme Sangha Council will cut off some arms and legs to save the organization.”
