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Mint
27 minutes ago
- Mint
Woman earns ₹100 crore by blackmailing Thai monks with thousands of ‘intimate' photos and videos
At least nine Thai monks were extorted of a whopping 385 million baht ( ₹ 102.14 crore) over the past three years by a single woman. Yes, just one woman! According to a BBC news report, this woman, whom the police refer to as 'Ms Golf', allegedly engaged in sexual activities with the monks and then used the pictures and videos of the act to extort money from them. Over 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks were found in her house during the investigation. The case first came to the police's attention in mid-June after an abbot in Bangkok suddenly left monkhood. According to Thai police, Ms Golf 'had a relationship' with a monk in May 2024. She later claimed to have his baby and demanded child support of more than 7 million baht. However, upon investigation, the police learnt that the other monks were blackmailed in a similar fashion, calling it her "modus operandi". Nearly all of the money she extorted has been withdrawn, and some of it has been used for online gambling, said the police. Ms Golf, the woman behind the scandal of millions, is facing multiple charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much-revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking. The police have now opened a hotline for people to report 'misbehaving monks'. In Thailand, where over 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are deeply respected. It's common for many Thai men to temporarily ordain as monks to gain merit and accumulate good karma. However, the recent scandal has led the Sangha Supreme Council—the governing authority of Thai Buddhism—to announce plans for a special committee to review existing monastic regulations. Meanwhile, the government is advocating stricter penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for monks found violating the monastic code.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Thai woman arrested for blackmailing monks with thousands of videos after sex
Thai police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks, and then used photos and videos of the acts to extort money from them. The woman, who police are calling "Ms Golf", had sex with at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on Tuesday. They believe she received around 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) over the past three years. Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman said. This scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking. Police said the case first came to their attention in mid-June, when they learned that an abbot in Bangkok had suddenly left the monkhood after being extorted by a woman. Ms Golf "had a relationship" with the monk in May 2024, police said. She later claimed to have his baby and demanded child support of more than seven million baht, they added. Authorities then discovered that other monks had similarly transferred money to Ms Golf - which police called her "modus operandi". Police added they found that nearly all of the money has been withdrawn and some of it had been used for online gambling. When investigators searched Ms Golf's house earlier this month, they seized her phones and found more than 80,000 photos and videos that she had used to blackmail the monks, police said. She is facing multiple charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. The police have also opened a hotline for people to report "misbehaving monks". The scandal has prompted the Sangha Supreme Council - the governing body for Thai Buddhism - to say it will form a special committee to review monastic regulations. The government is also pushing for harsher penalties - including fines and jail time - for monks who breach the monastic code. This week, Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command he had issued in June conferring higher titles to 81 monks. He cited the recent cases of misconduct, which he said have "caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds". In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are highly revered. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good karma. But the Buddhist institution has been plagued by scandals in the recent past. Wirapol Sukphol, a jet-setting monk known for his lavish lifestyle, made international headlines in 2017 when he was charged with sex offences, fraud and money laundering. And in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun was left without any monks after all four of its monks were arrested in a drug raid and were disrobed. Despite years of criticism about disciplinary and accountability issues within the Thai Sangha, many say there has been little real change in the centuries-old institution. A big part of the problem lies with its strict hierarchy, say experts. "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." But some see ongoing investigations, both by the police and the Sangha council, as a key step to push ahead with much-needed reform. "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."
BBC News
18 hours ago
- BBC News
How one woman blackmail monks wit videos afta she do kerewa wit dem
Thai police don arrest one woman wey allegedly get sexual relations wit monks, come later use fotos and videos of di acts to extort money from dem. Di woman, wey police dey call "Ms Golf", bin do kerewa wit at least nine monks, police tok for one press conference on Tuesday, 15 July. Dem believe say she receive around 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) ova di past three years. Investigators wey search her house see more dan 80,000 fotos and videos she dey use blackmail di monks, police tok-tok pesin tok. Dis scandal na di latest to rock Thailand much respected Buddhist institution, wey in recent years don face plenty allegations of how monks dey engage in sex offences and drug trafficking. Police say di case bin first come dia attention for mid-June, wen dem hear say one abbot for Bangkok suddenly leave di monkhood afta one woman extort am. Di woman, wey police dey call "Ms Golf", bin do kerewa wit at least nine monks, police tok for one press conference on Tuesday, 15 July. Dem believe say she receive around 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) ova di past three years. Investigators wey search her house see more dan 80,000 fotos and videos she dey use blackmail di monks, police tok-tok pesin tok. Dis scandal na di latest to rock Thailand much respected Buddhist institution, wey in recent years don face plenty allegations of how monks dey engage in sex offences and drug trafficking. Police say di case bin first come dia attention for mid-June, wen dem hear say one abbot for Bangkok suddenly leave di monkhood afta one woman extort am. Ms Golf "bin get relationship" wit di monk for May 2024, police tok. She later claim say she get pikin for am and demand for child support of more dan seven million baht, dem add. Authorities later discover say oda monks bin don also transfer money give Ms Golf – wey police call her "modus operandi". Police add say dem see say she don withdraw almost all di money, and she use some of dem for online gambling. Wen investigators search Ms Golf house earlier dis month, dem seize her phones and found see more dan 80,000 fotos and videos wey she dey use blackmail di monks, police tok. She dey face multiple charges wey include extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen goods. Police don also open hotline for pipo to report "monks wey dey misbehave". Di scandal don make di Sangha Supreme Council - di governing body for Thai Buddhism – tok say dem go form special committee to review monastic regulations. Di govment also dey push for harsher penalties – wey include fines and jail time - for monks wey breach di monastic code. Dis week, Thailand King Vajiralongkorn bin revoke one royal command wey e issue for June wey e confer higher titles to 81 monks. E say di reason e cancel am na sake of di recent cases of misconduct, wey e say don "cause Buddhists to suffer greatly for dia minds". For Thailand, wia more dan 90% of di population identify as Buddhist, monks dey highly revered. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good karma. But in recent years, di Buddhist institution don dey plagued by scandals. Wirapol Sukphol, one jet-setting monk wey dey known for im lavish lifestyle, bin make international headlines for 2017 wen e dey charged wit sex offences, fraud and money laundering. And for 2022, one temple for di northern province of Phetchabun dey left without any monks afta police arrest all dia four monks for inside one drug raid and dem disrobe dem. Sex dey out of bounds for monks Buddhists monks na veri important pipo for Buddhism religion and dem dey live for monasteries. Dis na place wia many monks dey stay so dem go fit get away from distractions of di world to enable dem show complete devotion to di Buddhist way of life. For monasteries, monks dey spend time to practice dia spirituality and meditate on di teachings of di Buddha wit di hope say dem go reach enlightenment. Monks dey live simple life as dem focus dia time on studying, dem suppose even touch money, and sex dey strictly out of bounds. To see monks wey dey behave badly no dey new for Thailand. Di temptations of modern life don throw up many examples of monks wey get big money, monks wey dey take drugs, dey dance and dey enjoy sexual relations wit men and women or even abusing girls and boys. Temples also dey wey don attract large and dedicated followings, through skilful promotion of charismatic monks and abbots, wey dem say get supernatural powers.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Thailand: Police arrest woman at centre of monk sex scandal
Thai police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks, and then used photos and videos of the acts to extort money from woman, who police are calling "Ms Golf", extorted at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on Tuesday. They believe she received around 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) over the past three years. Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman scandal is the latest to rock Thailand's much revered Buddhist institution, which in recent years has been plagued with allegations of monks engaging in sex offences and drug trafficking. Police said the case first came to their attention in mid-June, when they learned that an abbot in Bangkok had suddenly left the monkhood after being extorted by a Golf, "had a relationship" with the monk in May 2024, police said. She later claimed to have his baby and demanded child support of more than seven million baht, they then discovered that other monks had similarly transferred money to Ms Golf - which police called her "modus operandi".Police added they found that nearly all of the money has been withdrawn and some of it had been used for online investigators searched Ms Golf's house earlier this month, they seized her phones and found more than 80,000 photos and videos that she had used to blackmail the monks, police is facing multiple charges including extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen police have also opened a hotline for people to report "misbehaving monks". The scandal has prompted the Sangha Supreme Council - the governing body for Thai Buddhism - to say it will form a special committee to review monastic government is also pushing for harsher penalties - including fines and jail time - for monks who breach the monastic week, Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn revoked a royal command he had issued in June conferring higher titles to 81 monks. He cited the recent cases of misconduct, which he said have "caused Buddhists to suffer greatly in their minds".In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population identify as Buddhist, monks are highly revered. Many Thai men also choose to temporarily ordain as monks to accumulate good the Buddhist institution has been plagued by scandals in the recent Sukphol, a jet-setting monk known for his lavish lifestyle, made international headlines in 2017 when he was charged with sex offences, fraud and money laundering. And in 2022, a temple in the northern province of Phetchabun was left without any monks after all four of its monks were arrested in a drug raid and were years of criticism about disciplinary and accountability issues within the Thai Sangha, many say there has been little real change in the centuries-old institution. A big part of the problem lies with its strict hierarchy, say experts."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."But some see ongoing investigations, both by the police and the Sangha council, as a key step to push ahead with much-needed reform. "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."
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
DSI to assist probe into sex scandal rocking the country's monastic order
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has been asked to assist the Central Investigation Bureau's (CIB) probe into the latest sex scandal rocking the country's monastic order. The move was announced by acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, on Monday, as he pledged to take firm action against monks who are found to have acted in ways which could negatively impact the public's confidence in the Buddhist clergy. He said the decision to involve the DSI in the investigation was taken due to the case's potential impact on religious sentiments. The scandal came to light after authorities raided the home of a woman known as Sika Golf ("Ms Golf") as part of an investigation into the misappropriation of temple funds. Instead, they found a cache of images and video clips showing several senior monks engaging in sexual activities with the woman in question. Mr Phumtham said he has asked the DSI chief to support the CIB's investigation into the case. He said the agencies must work together to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible, in a bid to limit the reputational damage to the Buddhist clergy. "This doesn't mean that the case will be transferred to the DSI. Instead, the DSI will assist with intelligence support, while the CIB leads the investigation," he said. Separately, the Cyber Crime Investigation Division 1 said it is looking into Ms Golf's links to online gambling operations. According to its commander, Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor, early evidence suggests she gambled heavily, betting as much as 500,000 baht in one turn. Police are waiting for her financial statements to see if she had any direct transactions on gambling websites. If confirmed, she will be charged under Thailand's anti-gambling laws, he said. While Ms Golf is known to have romantic relationships with several senior monks, no clear financial links between the monks and gambling platforms have been found so far. However, the investigation is ongoing, he said. In a related development, Senator Parinya Wongcherdkwan warned about a crisis of faith in Monday's Senate meeting. He said that Thailand "needs 100 more women like Ms Golf" to expose corrupt monks and cleanse the religion. Suchart Tanchareon, the minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and a member of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand, rejected the idea of encouraging scandals to fix the system. He stressed that misconduct stems from individuals, not Buddhism itself. He acknowledged the National Office of Buddhism has been passive and urged it to take a proactive approach, such as working with local communities to detect early signs of clerical abuse.
