A woman who filmed herself having sex with Buddhist monks in Thailand, then allegedly used the videos to extort them.
Identified as "Ms. Golf" by authorities, the woman is alleged to have had sex with at least nine monks over several years, according to police at a Tuesday press briefing.
The Telegraph has identified her as 35-year-old Wilawan Emsawat.
Investigators believe she managed to extort roughly 385 million baht - around $11.9 million - between 2021 and 2024.
The case took a dramatic turn when officers searched her home and discovered more than 80,000 images and videos believed to have been used in the blackmail scheme.
The incident is the latest in a series of scandals tarnishing the reputation of Thailand’s Buddhist clergy, a community traditionally held in high esteem by the country's overwhelmingly Buddhist population.
Authorities first began investigating in mid-June after reports emerged that an abbot in Bangkok had suddenly left monastic life under suspicious circumstances.
Police later revealed that the monk had been extorted by a woman with whom he had a relationship in May 2024.
Emsawat allegedly claimed to be pregnant with the monk’s child and demanded over seven million baht in child support.
Upon further investigation, police discovered that several other monks had also sent money to her under similar circumstances. They described this pattern as her “modus operandi.”
Officers stated that most of the funds she received had already been withdrawn, with a portion reportedly spent on online gambling.
During the raid on her residence, authorities seized multiple phones containing an extensive cache of photos and videos used in the alleged extortion.
Emsawat is now facing a slew of charges, including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen property.
In response to the scandal, the Thai police have launched a hotline for citizens to report misconduct by members of the clergy.
The Sangha Supreme Council - the top governing body for Thai Buddhism - announced plans to form a special committee to reassess its current regulations.
Meanwhile, the government is proposing tougher punishments for monks who violate their vows, including fines and prison time.
The controversy has even drawn a response from Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn, who this week rescinded a royal decree issued just last month that elevated 81 monks to higher ranks.
The King cited recent misconduct, stating it had “caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds.”
With more than 90% of the Thai population identifying as Buddhist, monks occupy a respected place in society, and it’s common for Thai men to join the monkhood temporarily to earn spiritual merit.
But the institution has faced a growing number of public scandals in recent years.
Back in 2017, monk Wirapol Sukphol made global headlines for his luxury lifestyle and was eventually charged with sex crimes, fraud, and money laundering.
And in 2022, a temple in northern Phetchabun province was left empty after all four of its monks were caught in a drug raid and removed from the order.
Despite increasing criticism, many say reform within the Sangha has been slow, due in part to its rigid internal hierarchy.
"It is an authoritarian system similar to the Thai bureaucracy where senior monks are like high-ranking officials and junior monks are their subordinates," religious scholar Suraphot Thaweesak told BBC Thai.
"When they see something inappropriate, they do not dare to speak up because it is very easy to be kicked out of the temple."
Still, some believe the current wave of investigations could finally trigger meaningful change.
"The important thing is to reveal the truth so that the public can ease their doubts about the innocence of the Sangha," said Prakirati Satasut, a sociology scholar at Bangkok's Thammasat University.
"It depends on whether the Supreme Sangha Council will cut off some arms and legs to save the organization."
Emsawat has not publicly commented.