Sex, tapes and scandal: How Ms Golf extorted millions from Thai monks

India Today

2 days ago

The police in Thailand have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relationships with several Buddhist monks and later extorted them, demanding money in exchange for not leaking explicit photos and videos. The woman, known as "Ms Golf", had sex with at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on July 15. They believe she received around 385 million baht ($11.9 million) over the past three years.This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much-revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued by allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking.Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, a police spokesperson said, according to a report by The Guardian."We checked her financial trail and found that it involves many temples," Jaroonkiat Pankaew from the Thai police's central investigation bureau told a press briefing on July 15."After we seized her mobile, we checked and found that there were several monks involved, and several [video] clips and Line chats," he added.WHAT IS THE SCANDAL INVOLVING MONKS IN THAILAND?Police said the case first came to their attention in the middle of June, when they learnt that an abbot in Bangkok had suddenly left the monkhood after being extorted by a woman.Ms Golf "had a relationship" with the monk in May 2024, police said.She later claimed to having his baby and demanded child support of more than seven million baht, they added.Authorities then discovered that other monks had also transferred money to Ms Golf — which police called her "modus operandi".Police added they found that nearly all the money had been withdrawn, and some of it had been used for online gambling.When investigators searched Ms Golf's house earlier this month, they seized her phones and found more than 80,000 photos and videos that she had used to blackmail the monks, police said.She is facing multiple charges, including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods. The police have also opened a hotline for people to report "misbehaving monks".HARSHER PUNISHMENT: MORE JAIL TIMES AND FINEThe scandal has prompted the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body for Thai Buddhism, to announce that it will form a special committee to review monastic regulations.The government is also pushing for harsher penalties, including fines and jail time, for monks who breach the monastic code.This week, Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command he had issued in June conferring higher titles to 81 monks. He cited the recent cases of misconduct, which he said have "caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds".In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are highly revered. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good karma.SCANDALS HAVE PLAGUED BUDDHIST CLERGY IN THAILANDBut the Buddhist institution has been plagued by scandals in recent years.Wirapol Sukphol, a jet-setting monk known for his lavish lifestyle, made international headlines in 2017 when he was charged with sex offences, fraud, and money laundering.And in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun was left without any monks after all four of its monks were arrested in a drug raid and were disrobed.Despite years of criticism about disciplinary and accountability issues within the Thai Sangha, many say there has been little real change in the centuries-old institution. A big part of the problem lies with its strict hierarchy, say experts.While much of the coverage has focused on the woman at the centre of the scandal, experts told several media outlets that the case raises important questions about the money and power that enable such behaviour."When the clergy's moral decay is in full view, it's the woman who takes the fall while the monks are cast as victims," wrote one commentator, Sanitsuda Ekachai, in the Bangkok Post, deriding what she said was a feudal-like system in which monks "live in privilege, surrounded by wealth and deference."Another op-ed published by Thai broadcaster PBS thanked Wilawan for her role in exposing the conduct, saying: "Without her, these deep-rooted malpractices might never have come to light."Monks in Thailand receive monthly food allowances of between 2,500–34,200 baht (57–785), depending on their rank, but temples and monks also receive donations. The latter can prove especially lucrative for monks of higher stature, who might be given tens of thousands of baht, or even more, by wealthy individuals.- Ends
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