Thai Woman Seduced Buddhist Monks, Filmed Sex, Blackmailed Nine for $12M

• Woman blackmailed monks after recording sexual encounters
• $11.9M allegedly spent on online gambling platforms
• Scandal triggers calls for monk-sex ban legislation

 A woman in Thailand was arrested Tuesday on extortion charges after she was alleged to have seduced nine Buddhist monks whom she subsequently blackmailed for cash.

Police allege she largely blew the money she earned from the honeytrap, the equivalent of around US$11.9 million, on online gambling.

Wilawan Emsawat, 35, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province, north of the capital Bangkok, according to Thai Royal Police. At least nine abbots and senior monks have been disrobed, as a result of the scandal – both figuratively and, it seems, quite literally.

Under Theravāda Buddhism, which is the most widely practiced form in Thailand, celibacy is a must for the monkhood, which is expected to completely abstain from sexual activity, including thoughts or behavior that could lead to it.

Breaking this rule is considered a major offense (parajika) and results in permanent expulsion from the monastic community.

Extortion Plot

Wilawan deliberately targeted senior monks for financial gain, authorities said. The seductress allegedly filmed her sexual encounters with them on her mobile phone before extorting them for money. She has also been charged with money laundering and receiving stolen goods.

Police began looking into Wilawan after the disappearance of Phra Thep Wachirapamok, the abbot of the Wat Tri Thotsathep Worawihan temple in Bangkok who abruptly left the monkhood last month and fled to Laos.

The scandal has prompted a committee in the Thai senate to propose enacting a law to make it illegal for women to have sex with monks.

Unholy Riches

Senior monks in Thailand often control significant financial resources. Temples generate income through “merit-making” ceremonies, where worshippers donate money in the hope of good fortune or a better rebirth.

The case has highlighted how, in some instances, monks can access these funds with little oversight or accountability.

In May, an abbot at one of Thailand’s most prominent temples, Wat Rai Khing, was arrested on suspicion of embezzling the equivalent of more than US$9 million from the religious site and spending it on online baccarat. The two cases are not believed to be linked.