logo
Woman earns  ₹100 crore by blackmailing Thai monks with thousands of ‘intimate' photos and videos

Woman earns ₹100 crore by blackmailing Thai monks with thousands of ‘intimate' photos and videos

Mint17-07-2025
At least nine Thai monks were extorted of a whopping 385 million baht ( ₹ 102.14 crore) over the past three years by a single woman. Yes, just one woman!
According to a BBC news report, this woman, whom the police refer to as 'Ms Golf', allegedly engaged in sexual activities with the monks and then used the pictures and videos of the act to extort money from them.
Over 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks were found in her house during the investigation.
The case first came to the police's attention in mid-June after an abbot in Bangkok suddenly left monkhood.
According to Thai police, Ms Golf 'had a relationship' with a monk in May 2024. She later claimed to have his baby and demanded child support of more than 7 million baht.
However, upon investigation, the police learnt that the other monks were blackmailed in a similar fashion, calling it her "modus operandi".
Nearly all of the money she extorted has been withdrawn, and some of it has been used for online gambling, said the police.
Ms Golf, the woman behind the scandal of millions, is facing multiple charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods.
This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much-revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking.
The police have now opened a hotline for people to report 'misbehaving monks'.
In Thailand, where over 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are deeply respected. It's common for many Thai men to temporarily ordain as monks to gain merit and accumulate good karma.
However, the recent scandal has led the Sangha Supreme Council—the governing authority of Thai Buddhism—to announce plans for a special committee to review existing monastic regulations.
Meanwhile, the government is advocating stricter penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for monks found violating the monastic code.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Explained: The border dispute, and the Hindu temples at the heart of deadly Cambodia-Thailand clashes
Explained: The border dispute, and the Hindu temples at the heart of deadly Cambodia-Thailand clashes

Indian Express

time44 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Explained: The border dispute, and the Hindu temples at the heart of deadly Cambodia-Thailand clashes

Thailand's army launched strikes on Cambodian military sites along their disputed border on Thursday (July 24), amidst recent deadly clashes which killed at least 11 Thai civilians. In a social media post, Thailand's 2nd regional military command said that it had deployed F-16 fighter jets and claimed to have 'destroyed' two Cambodian regional military support units. With ongoing fighting between the two forces at six locations along the border, Thai residents in the area were evacuated. The two nations had downgraded their diplomatic relations a day earlier, after accusing each other of inciting violence. The exchange of fire has roots not only in their colonial history, including disputes over Hindu temples, but also in recent events. Here is what to know. What is happening at the Thailand-Cambodia border? Earlier on Thursday, Thailand's foreign affairs ministry accused its southern neighbour of escalating the long-standing border conflict, and promised to 'intensify our self-defense measures'. 'The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the violations of Thailand's sovereignty and international law, following the laying of anti-personnel landmines within Thai territory that caused injuries to Thai military personnel while Thai soldiers were patrolling on 16 and 23 July 2025,' it said in a statement. Thailand has claimed that Cambodia had recently laid land mines along paths that were supposed to remain safe under a common agreement. Five of its soldiers were reportedly injured on Wednesday. Cambodia has dismissed these 'baseless accusations,' and said that many unexploded mines and other ordnance remain in the area as a legacy of 20th-century wars and unrest. The Thai ministry claimed that Cambodia had resorted to heavy artillery shelling on Thursday morning into a Thai military base, as well as a hospital. Thailand has since closed its border to Cambodia, while Cambodia has accused Bangkok of using 'excessive force.' The Thai government has further claimed that Cambodia deployed drones to conduct surveillance of Thai troops at a military base near the Khmer Hindu temple, Prasat Ta Muen Thom. It has also alleged that Thursday's first clashes happened close to this region. The temple is located 400 km northeast of Bangkok, along the border of Thailand's Surin province and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province. However, the Cambodian side has disputed this narrative, with its Defence Ministry saying, 'Cambodian forces acted strictly within the bounds of self-defence, responding to an unprovoked incursion by Thai troops that violated our territorial integrity.' The ministry also claimed that the Thai side had deployed drones first and initiated an armed attack on the Cambodian troops at the temple. Both countries have long staked claims on the temple's ownership. Relations have been fraught since May, when a soldier was killed in a skirmish at the border between Cambodian and Thai troops. The incident spurred tit-for-tat actions, amid rising nationalist rhetoric on both sides. Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from her post earlier this month after her phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was leaked. On the call, she had allegedly spoken disparagingly of her own military's actions in the dispute. The leaked phone call had spurred widespread protests and saw the ruling coalition lose support from a major ally. In recent weeks, border crossings were stopped for all visitors except students and medical patients. Cambodia, in turn, has banned Thai films, cut Thai internet links, and suspended imports of fruits and vegetables, as well as fuel and gas from Thailand. The two nations share over 800 kilometres of border, and have longstanding border disputes based on a 1907 map drawn during French colonial rule in Cambodia. The country has long held the map as a reference to claim territory, while Thailand disagrees, claiming it is vague. One such dispute centres around the mountainous area surrounding the 11th-century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear, located between Cambodia's Preah Vihear province and Thailand's Sisaket province. Both countries have claimed the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva as their own. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008, much to Thailand's consternation. Legal arbitration to resolve this territory claim resulted in an International Court of Justice ruling awarding sovereignty of the region to Cambodia in 1962, spurring further diplomatic tensions. This decision was upheld by the court in 2013, following two years of deadly clashes. The court then created a demilitarised zone around the temple following deadly clashes that left 20 dead and displaced thousands of people, but this was not implemented, the Associated Press reported. Thailand has since rejected the court's jurisdiction.

Two Asian countries indulge in Fierce War, attacks Hospitals, markets, not China, Taiwan, Myanmar, names are….
Two Asian countries indulge in Fierce War, attacks Hospitals, markets, not China, Taiwan, Myanmar, names are….

India.com

time2 hours ago

  • India.com

Two Asian countries indulge in Fierce War, attacks Hospitals, markets, not China, Taiwan, Myanmar, names are….

Home News Two Asian countries indulge in Fierce War, attacks Hospitals, markets, not China, Taiwan, Myanmar, names are…. Two Asian countries indulge in Fierce War, attacks Hospitals, markets, not China, Taiwan, Myanmar, names are…. However, we cannot independently verify these claims. In a social media post, the Thai military wrote, 'All Thai F-16s returned safely after bombing Cambodian battalions.' New Delhi: More than 10 people, including several civilians, have been reported killed in clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops in a disputed area of their countries' shared border. According to Thailand's military, Cambodian troops opened fire first with heavy weapons, while Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence said its troops acted in self-defence after coming under attack. Its distressing to witness that Both the asian countries that revere Lord Buddha and follow Buddhism have strayed from the path of 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' (Non-violence is the highest duty) and entered the battlefield. According to reports, fierce gunfire is taking place between Thai and Cambodian soldiers. Meanwhile, Thailand's F-16 fighter jets have launched heavy bombing attacks on Cambodian military bases. Thailand claims its F-16 jets returned safely after striking Cambodian military targets. Thailand stated that the F-16s were deployed in response to rocket attacks launched from the Cambodian side. It further said that six F-16 jets were used in the operation targeting military sites inside Cambodia. However, we cannot independently verify these claims. In a social media post, the Thai military wrote, 'All Thai F-16s returned safely after bombing Cambodian battalions.' On the other hand, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense has accused Thailand of using excessive force, calling Thailand 'a serious threat to regional peace and stability.' According to a report by The Guardian, Thailand also launched intense attacks on Cambodia's cultural sites — Ta Muen Thom and Preah Vihear. Brutal and illegal military aggression: Cambodia The Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia accused Thailand of 'brutal and illegal military aggression,' claiming Thai jets dropped bombs on Cambodian territory and used heavy weaponry. A spokesperson said these actions 'violated international law' and ASEAN norms, while adding that Cambodia's forces were prepared to defend its sovereignty 'at all costs'. Cambodia Targeted Phanom Dong Rak Hospital: Thailand According to a Thai army's Facebook post, Cambodian artillery targeted Phanom Dong Rak Hospital in Surin province. While details remain limited, the alleged strike on a medical facility escalated fears of civilian targeting, leading Thailand to issue evacuation warnings and bolster border defences in affected areas. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest News News on

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store