Thai Woman Arrested For Allegedly Luring Buddhist Monks Into Sexual Relationships, Extorting Millions

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 08:05 IST

At least 9 abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and cast out of monkhood for their involvement, amid allegations that they violated the strict celibacy rule for Thai monks

Buddhist monks (Representative image/Reuters)

A woman in Thailand has been arrested for allegedly seducing multiple senior Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then blackmailing them for large sums of money, in a scandal that has rocked the country’s monastic institutions and drawn public attention to temple finances.

Wilawan Emsawat, believed to be in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok, on Tuesday, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said. She faces charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods.

At least nine abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood for their involvement, amid allegations that they violated the strict celibacy rule for Thai monks. Members of the Theravada Buddhist sect, which predominates in Thailand, are required to be celibate and avoid even physical contact with women.

According to police, Wilawan deliberately targeted senior monks and initiated romantic relationships with them. Several monks then transferred large sums of money to her.

Deputy Commissioner Jaroonkiat Pankaew of the Central Investigation Bureau said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood. Police later found that the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan.

“She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht ($222,000) in financial assistance," Jaroonkiat said during a press conference in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Authorities traced money transferred to Wilawan by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand.

Police said Wilawan’s bank accounts received around 385 million baht ($11.9 million) in the past three years. Much of the money, investigators found, had been spent on online gambling websites.

Wilawan has not made a statement since her arrest. However, before her arrest, she told local media that she had been involved in a relationship with a monk and claimed to have given money to him.

Thai media reported that a search of Wilawan’s mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, along with numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for blackmail.

Jaroonkiat said, “This woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible."

The case has also drawn renewed attention to the large sums of money donated to temples, which are often under the control of abbots. This stands in sharp contrast to the abstemious lives monks are expected to lead under Buddhist precepts.

In response to the growing scandal, Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Phumtham Wechayachai has ordered officials to review and consider tightening laws related to monks and temples, with a focus on increasing the transparency of temple finances, said government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub on Tuesday.

To encourage public participation in the investigation, the Central Investigation Bureau has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks involved in misconduct.

“We will investigate monks across the country," Jaroonkiat said. “I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes."

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