Wilawan Emsawat: Woman arrested for allegedly having sex with Buddhist monks and then blackmailing them
A woman has been arrested after allegedly having sex with Buddhist monks and then blackmailed them for millions of dollars.
Thai police say Wilawan Emsawat, 35, enticed a number of monks, including an abbott she said had got her pregnant, into intimate relationships and then pressured them into paying her about 385 million baht (AUD$18 million) to keep it quiet.
The scandal has gripped public attention in Thailand and rocked Buddhist institutions.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Sexual intimacy is forbidden and monks are even meant to refrain from touching women under the rules of the Thervada sect, to which the monks belonged.
The case has also put a spotlight on the large sums of money donated to temples controlled by abbots.
Investigators found the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Emsawat after she told him she was pregnant and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht ($341,000) in financial assistance, Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a Central Investigation Bureau deputy commissioner, said.
He said an investigation was launched last month after the abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood.
Police traced money allegedly transferred to her by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand.
Emsawat was taken into custody in Bangkok on Tuesday and charged with extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods.
Thai media reported a search of her mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, as well as numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for blackmail.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered authorities to review and consider tightening existing laws related to monks and temples, especially the transparency of temple finances, to restore faith in Buddhism, government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Tuesday.
The Central Investigation Bureau has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks who misbehave, Mr Jaroonkiat said.
“We will investigate monks across the country,” he said. “I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes.”
