Police found millions of dollars had been transferred into Wirawan Emsawat's account over the last three years
A 35-year-old woman in Thailand has been taken into custody after being accused of seducing senior Buddhist monks and then blackmailing them for huge sums of money.
Authorities conducted a raid on July 4 at the home of Wirawan Emsawat—who also goes by the name 'Sika Golf'—as they looked into the sudden disappearance of a monk named Arch. He had recently vanished from the Wat Tri Thotsathep temple.
Investigators suspected that Arch might have been involved in a romantic scandal or some sort of financial wrongdoing, and soon they were able to connect him to Wirawan.
While searching Wirawan’s home, police found a massive stash of 80,000 pornographic files spread across five phones. These included clips and photos that reportedly showed her in intimate acts with high-ranking monks—who are expected to maintain a vow of celibacy, as well as with politicians.
One video allegedly showed a monk still dressed in his orange robes as he cozied up next to Wirawan. Another clip appeared to show a monk getting dressed after what seemed to be a sexual encounter.
After the videos surfaced, Wirawan reportedly confessed to threatening or blackmailing several men for money. She even revealed that she had children with some of them.
Wirawan was officially arrested at her residence in Nonthaburi province, located just north of Bangkok. She is now facing serious charges that include extortion, money laundering, and possession of stolen goods. Authorities found that over the past three years, nearly 385 million baht or about $11.9 million had been transferred into her bank accounts.
Police believe that most of this money went toward funding an addiction to online gambling, which she reportedly developed over time.
According to Jaroonkiat Pankaew, a deputy commissioner with the Central Investigation Bureau, Arch was one of the monks allegedly blackmailed by Wirawan. She is said to have claimed she was pregnant and then demanded 7.2 million baht - roughly $222,000 from him for support.
As the scandal grew, Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner at the Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, announced that more than a dozen Buddhist temples were now under investigation.
He said: "The scandals required further police investigation and action to ensure that the monastic institution remains composed solely of monks who uphold moral discipline."
"We have no intention of undermining Buddhism. However, we urge monks across the country to exercise caution when taking part in religious activities that involve laywomen."
"These individuals may present themselves as generous donors, wealthy benefactors or socialites, yet some may in fact be fraudsters seeking to gain the monks' trust, engaging them in conversations via Line or telephone and secretly recording clips."
The Sangha Supreme Council, which serves as the top Buddhist authority in Thailand, acknowledged that many of the current monastic rules no longer match up with today’s issues and are in need of change.
Acting secretary Chatchapol Chaiyaporn said: "A new special committee will be formed to safeguard Buddhism, review the Sangha Act and other related laws, and enhance public communication. The proposal will be submitted to the Supreme Patriarch for approval."
He also noted that there are loopholes in monastic law that must be closed to help restore trust among the public.
The National Office of Buddhism is now proposing tough new penalties. These would include prison sentences of up to seven years and fines as high as 140,000 baht—about $4,303—for any monks expelled from the clergy, as well as for laypeople who knowingly take part in sexual acts with monks.
These proposed punishments still need to be reviewed and approved by the Sangha Supreme Council before they can be implemented.