US Edition
Thai Woman Arrested in Scheme to Blackmail Senior Buddhist Monks
THAILAND, JUL 15 – Wilawan Emsawat allegedly extorted at least 15 senior monks, receiving about 385 million baht ($11.9 million) over three years, prompting arrests and calls for monastic reforms.
- Thai police arrested Wilawan Emsawat, nicknamed Ms Golf, on Tuesday at her home near Bangkok for allegedly seducing and blackmailing senior Buddhist monks.
- The arrest followed an investigation that started last month after a temple abbot in Bangkok unexpectedly renounced his monastic status amid allegations of extortion involving large sums of money.
- Authorities found over 80,000 photos and videos on Wilawan's phones showing sexual acts with at least nine monks, many of whom transferred a combined 385 million baht to her accounts.
- Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew said Ms Golf demanded over seven million baht in child support, and officials described her method as a deliberate modus operandi.
- The scandal led to defrocking of monks and prompted calls for legal reforms to tighten temple financial transparency and criminalize sexual relations with monks.
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138 Articles
138 Articles
A Thai woman identified as Wilawan Emsawat, 35, faces charges of extortion, money laundering and receipt of stolen property, after authorities discovered that she recorded sexual acts with Buddhist monks and demanded payments not to divulge the materials. The case, reported by means such as the Daily Mail and the Bangkok Post. The suspect, also known as Sika Golf, would have amassed about 385 million baht (about $8.8 million) for three years fro…
Thai police have arrested a woman who had sex with several monks and then blackmailed them with nude photos and videos, the latest scandal to rock Thailand's Buddhist institution.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources138
Leaning Left31Leaning Right25Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Left
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Left
41% Left
L 41%
C 25%
R 33%
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