Latest news with #TheravadaBuddhist
Mint
7 days ago
- Mint
Thai woman arrested for ‘seducing' monks in $11.9 million blackmail scheme
Thai police arrested Wilawan Emsawat ("Ms. Golf") for allegedly seducing senior Buddhist monks and blackmailing them with intimate photos and videos. The 30-year-old targeted at least nine abbots and high-ranking monks, violating strict celibacy rules of Thailand's Theravada Buddhist tradition. Her scheme unraveled when a prominent Bangkok abbot suddenly quit monkhood after she demanded 7.2 million baht ($222,000), falsely claiming pregnancy. Authorities seized over 80,000 explicit photos/videos during a raid on her Nonthaburi home, calling her "dangerous" due to the scale of her operation. Thai police arrested Wilawan Emsawat ("Ms. Golf") for allegedly seducing senior Buddhist monks and blackmailing them with intimate photos and videos. The 30-year-old targeted at least nine abbots and high-ranking monks, violating strict celibacy rules of Thailand's Theravada Buddhist tradition. Her scheme unraveled when a prominent Bangkok abbot suddenly quit monkhood after she demanded 7.2 million baht ($222,000), falsely claiming pregnancy. Authorities seized over 80,000 explicit photos/videos during a raid on her Nonthaburi home, calling her "dangerous" due to the scale of her operation. Monks allegedly paid Wilawan from temple donation accounts, funneling 385 million baht ($11.9 million) to her over three years . Police traced transfers from multiple monasteries, revealing how abbots diverted religious funds, including one northern temple's entire bank reserve. Most money vanished into online gambling sites, with investigators finding only minimal remaining balances. The scandal highlights the vast, poorly monitored donations to Thailand's 40,000+ temples, contrasting with monks' vows of poverty. Nine senior monks have been expelled from the monkhood, with more under investigation . Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn revoked royal honors from 81 monks following the scandal, citing "great suffering" caused to Buddhists . Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered urgent reforms: tightening financial oversight at temples, creating stricter penalties for monk misconduct, and launching a Facebook hotline for public reports. According to reports, The Sangha Supreme Council (Buddhism's governing body) will form a special committee to overhaul monastic rules. Meanwhile, police continue analyzing Wilawan's phone data, which suggests more monks may be implicated. She faces charges including extortion and money laundering while awaiting trial.
News18
16-07-2025
- News18
Woman Accused Of Seducing, Blackmailing Buddhist Monks For Millions; Arrested
Last Updated: At least 9 abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and cast out of monkhood for their involvement, amid allegations that they violated the strict celibacy rule for Thai monks A woman in Thailand has been arrested for allegedly seducing multiple senior Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then blackmailing them for large sums of money, in a scandal that has rocked the country's monastic institutions and drawn public attention to temple finances. Wilawan Emsawat, believed to be in her mid-30s, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok, on Tuesday, the Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said. She faces charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods. At least nine abbots and senior monks have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood for their involvement, amid allegations that they violated the strict celibacy rule for Thai monks. Members of the Theravada Buddhist sect, which predominates in Thailand, are required to be celibate and avoid even physical contact with women. According to police, Wilawan deliberately targeted senior monks and initiated romantic relationships with them. Several monks then transferred large sums of money to her. Deputy Commissioner Jaroonkiat Pankaew of the Central Investigation Bureau said the investigation began last month after an abbot of a famous temple in Bangkok abruptly left the monkhood. Police later found that the abbot had allegedly been blackmailed by Wilawan. 'She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked him to pay 7.2 million baht ($222,000) in financial assistance," Jaroonkiat said during a press conference in Bangkok on Tuesday. Authorities traced money transferred to Wilawan by a senior monk from a bank account belonging to his temple in northern Thailand. Police said Wilawan's bank accounts received around 385 million baht ($11.9 million) in the past three years. Much of the money, investigators found, had been spent on online gambling websites. Wilawan has not made a statement since her arrest. However, before her arrest, she told local media that she had been involved in a relationship with a monk and claimed to have given money to him. Thai media reported that a search of Wilawan's mobile phones revealed tens of thousands of photos and videos, along with numerous chat logs indicating intimacy with several monks, many of which could be used for blackmail. Jaroonkiat said, 'This woman is dangerous and we needed to arrest her as soon as possible." The case has also drawn renewed attention to the large sums of money donated to temples, which are often under the control of abbots. This stands in sharp contrast to the abstemious lives monks are expected to lead under Buddhist precepts. In response to the growing scandal, Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Phumtham Wechayachai has ordered officials to review and consider tightening laws related to monks and temples, with a focus on increasing the transparency of temple finances, said government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub on Tuesday. To encourage public participation in the investigation, the Central Investigation Bureau has set up a Facebook page for people to report monks involved in misconduct. 'We will investigate monks across the country," Jaroonkiat said. 'I believe that the ripple effects of this investigation will lead to a lot of changes." About the Author News Desk Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: July 16, 2025, 08:05 IST
Business Mayor
02-05-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
Speak less, listen more
I like to listen. I have learnt a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen – Ernest Hemingway is spot on. As humans, we possess the unique ability to truly understand and empathise with someone when we listen. By listening carefully, we can learn a great deal. Yet, many are more focused on what they have to say rather than understanding what others are conveying. Listening is key to learning and understanding the world around us. To listen is to discern. Someone rightly said, nowadays, it's not 'all ears; it's all mouth'. Listening requires patience. To listen is to relate to the other person and to understand oneself. There's pithy Persian dictum: Kamtar harf bezan, beshtar gosh kon; speak less, listen more. When everyone is speaking, it becomes the Tower of Babel. There's only noise and chaos, whereas listening creates tranquillity. An agitated mind speaks. A calm and composed mind listens as it helps us process our thoughts and disentangle them. Monks of Theravada Buddhist tradition are taught to listen and speak only when it's necessary. Buddhists believe that talking and speaking are impulsive actions, whereas listening is a trained reaction; it's a catalyst for sagacity. Words often create violence and negative vibes. Listening encourages silence and solitude. It is not just a sign of mental placidity, it's also an indication of an individual's existential evolution.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Speak less, listen more
I like to listen. I have learnt a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen - Ernest Hemingway is spot on. As humans, we possess the unique ability to truly understand and empathise with someone when we listen. By listening carefully, we can learn a great deal. Yet, many are more focused on what they have to say rather than understanding what others are conveying. Listening is key to learning and understanding the world around listen is to discern. Someone rightly said, nowadays, it's not 'all ears; it's all mouth'. Listening requires patience. To listen is to relate to the other person and to understand oneself. There's pithy Persian dictum: Kamtar harf bezan, beshtar gosh kon; speak less, listen more. When everyone is speaking, it becomes the Tower of Babel. There's only noise and chaos, whereas listening creates tranquillity. An agitated mind speaks. A calm and composed mind listens as it helps us process our thoughts and disentangle of Theravada Buddhist tradition are taught to listen and speak only when it's necessary. Buddhists believe that talking and speaking are impulsive actions, whereas listening is a trained reaction; it's a catalyst for sagacity . Words often create violence and negative vibes. Listening encourages silence and solitude. It is not just a sign of mental placidity, it's also an indication of an individual's existential evolution.
