Thai police arrested a woman who supposedly had sexual relations with monks, and then used photos and videos of actions to blackmail money from them.
The woman called the Police Golf has had sex with at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on Tuesday. They believe it has received about $ 385 million ($ 11.9 million; 8.8 million British pounds) in the last three years.
Investigators who searched her house have found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail monks, a police spokesman said.
This scandal is the most, who has shook the much -worshiped Buddhist institution of Thailand, which has been struck by allegations in monks involved in sexual crimes and drug trafficking in recent years.
Police said the case first had their attention in mid -June when they learned that abbot in Bangkok had suddenly left monasticism after being blackmailed by a woman.
G -Ja Golf “had a connection” with the monk in May 2024, police said. Later, she claims that she has his baby and demanded the support of children from more than seven million baht, they added.
The authorities then discovered that other monks had transferred money to G -Ja Golf – which the police called it “Modus Operandi”.
Police added that they had found that almost all the money had been withdrawn and some of them were used for online gambling.
When the investigators searched the house of G -Ja Golf earlier this month, they seized her phones and found more than 80,000 photos and videos she used to extort the monks, police said.
It faces multiple fees, including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods.
Police have also opened a hot line for people to report “unscrupulous monks”.
Police have found more than 80,000 photos and videos on the phone of G -Jan Golf, which she uses to extort monks [Thai News Pix]
The scandal prompted the Sangha Supreme Council, the Governing Body of Thai Buddhism – to say that it would set up a special committee to review monastic provisions.
The government also insists on the more randry penalties – including fines and a prison – for monks who violate the Monastic Code.
This week, the King of Thailand Vajiralongcorn canceled a royal command, which he had issued in June, providing higher titles to 81 monks. He cites the recent cases of a violation that he said “caused Buddhists to suffer significantly in their minds.”
In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population identifies themselves as Buddhist, the monks are greatly worshiped. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good karma.
But the Buddhist institution was struck by scandals in the recent past.
Wirapol Sukphol, a jet -set monk, known for his lavish lifestyle, made international titles in 2017 when he was accused of sexual crimes, fraud and money laundering. And in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Fechebun was left without monks after his four monks were arrested in a drug attack and were destroyed.
Despite the years of criticism of disciplinary and accountability in the Thai Sangha, many say there is a small real change in the centuries -old institution. Much of the problem is her strict hierarchy, experts say.
“This is an authoritarian system similar to Thai bureaucracy, in which senior monks are high -ranking employees and junior monks are their subordinates,” said religious scientist Surafot Taueesak to the BBC Thai. “When they see something inappropriate, they do not dare to talk because it is very easy to be expelled from the temple.”
But some see ongoing investigations from both the police and the Sangha advice, as a key step to move forward with the necessary reform.
“The important thing is to reveal the truth so that the public can alleviate its doubts about the innocence of Sangha,” says Prakiti Satasut, a scientist in sociology at the University of Tamasat in Bangkok.
“It depends on whether Sangha’s Supreme Council will cut some hands and feet to save the organization.”