Thai woman accused of extorting over ₹100 crore by seducing monks

A storm of scandal is sweeping across Thailand’s revered Buddhist clergy, as a 30-year-old woman from Nonthaburi stands accused of orchestrating a calculated scheme of seduction, blackmail, and extortion — shaking the moral bedrock of the nation’s temples.

Wilawan Emsawat was arrested this week north of Bangkok after police uncovered a staggering financial trail: over 385 million baht (approximately ₹101 crore) funneled through her bank accounts in just three years. Investigators believe much of it came from temple coffers — money allegedly extracted from senior monks she had seduced and later blackmailed with threats of public exposure.

Police say Emsawat used sexual entrapment to compromise prominent monks, some of whom held the title of abbot, forcing them to pay hush money to conceal violations of their sacred vows of celibacy. At least nine monks have already been disrobed in disgrace, and authorities warn the list could grow as digital forensics dig deeper into thousands of recovered photos, messages, and videos stored on her devices.

“She exploited their vulnerabilities. It’s a betrayal not just of these men but of the public’s trust in our religious institutions,” said Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau.

One former abbot allegedly paid 7.2 million baht after she claimed to be pregnant with his child. He later left the monkhood entirely.

The gravity of the scandal has reached the highest levels of government. Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has called for an urgent review of temple finances and stricter rules to govern monk conduct. A special public portal has also been launched to report unethical behavior in the clergy, signaling a long-overdue reckoning.

Emsawat, who remains in police custody, faces multiple charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen property. She has so far remained silent, though in a prior interview she acknowledged a relationship with one monk — insisting she had given him money.

As the investigation deepens and more names emerge from temple records and chat logs, Thailand’s religious institutions may find themselves in the midst of not just a criminal probe — but a moral crisis.