Woman earns ₹100 crore by blackmailing Thai monks with thousands of ‘intimate' photos and videos
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Nearly all of the money she extorted has been withdrawn, and some of it has been used for online gambling, said the police.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.
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