Woman arrested for allegedly attracting Thai Buddhist monks in sex, then blackmail

Police in Thailand arrested a woman on Tuesday that allegedly attracted a series of Buddhist monks in sex and then pressed them to make great payments to cover up their intimacy.

The possible violation of the celibacy rule for monks has shaken Buddhist institutions and public care in Thailand in recent weeks. At least nine abbots and major monks involved in the scandal have been disassembled and expelled from the Monkhood, said the Central Office of the Royal Thailand Police.

Wilawan Emsawat, about 30 years old, was arrested at home in the Non Thaburi province north of the capital, Bangkok, for charges that include extortion, money laundering and reception of stolen goods. Police said they tracked money transferred by a superior monk of a bank account that belongs to their temple in northern Thailand.

Wilawan has not made a statement since his arrest and it was not clear if he has legal representation. Speaking to local media before his arrest, he recognized a relationship and said he had given money to that monk.

The scandals that involve the monks arise several times a year in Thailand, but generally do not involve high -level members of the clergy. The case also highlights the great sums of money donated to the temples controlled by the abbots, which is in marked contrast to the abstemious lives that are supposed to be carried out under the precepts of their religion.

Wilawan deliberately pointed to major monks to obtain financial profits, police said, and said they discovered that several monks had transferred large amounts of money after Wilawan initiated romantic relations with them.

Wilawan bank accounts received around 385 million Baht ($ 11.9 million) in the last three years, but most funds were spent on online gambling websites, police said. The largest bets were 500,000 baht each, the Bangkok Post reported, citing the police.

Jaroonkiat Pankaew, an attached commissioner of the Central Research Office, said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left Monkhood.

The researchers discovered that the abbot had supposedly blackmail by Wilawan about their romantic relationship. She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked her to pay $ 222,000 in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat said at a press conference in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Police believed that “this woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible,” said Jaroonkiat.

Thai Media reported that a search on his mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, as well as numerous chat records that indicate intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for blackmail.

Thai monks are largely members of the Theravada sect, which requires them to be celibate and refrain from even touching a woman.

The interim prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered the authorities to review and consider adjusting the existing laws related to monks and temples, especially the transparency of temple finance, to restore faith in Buddhism, Government spokesman Houngsub said on Tuesday.

The Central Research Office has established a Facebook page so that people report monks who behave badly, Jaroonkiat said.

“We will investigate monks throughout the country,” he said. “I think the effects of this research will lead to many changes.”

Buddhist monks in Thailand have been wrapped in scandals before.

In May, the Thai Police arrested a monk On accusations, he embezzled more than $ 9 million of the prominent temple he directed, which was financed by devotees donations.

Last November, the Thai police launched an investigation of a Buddhist monastery after the authorities discovered 41 bodies on the site that were supposedly used for meditation practices.

In 2022, each monk in a Buddhist temple in downtown Thailand was paraded after them Tested positive For methamphetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.

Agance France-Presse contributed to this report.

• Thailand
• Buddhism