PUBLISHED ONJuly 16, 2025 5:15 AMBYLim KeweiA Thai woman who allegedly received 385 million baht (S$15.2 million) from at least 10 senior Buddhist monks over the past three years was arrested by police on Tuesday (July 15).
The police said she gambled away most of the money she received.
Wilawan "Golf" Emsawat, 35, is allegedly at the centre of a major sex and money scandal that has forced nine senior monks from various temples in Thailand to disrobe, reports said.
She was arrested after police found evidence of a 380,000 baht transfer from a defrocked abbot, who had sent the money from his temple's bank account, reported the Bangkok Post.
Former monk Phra Theppatcharaporn admitted to having also transferred Golf a total of 12.8 million baht from his personal bank account.
Blaming it on a "lapse of judgement", the 67-year-old maintained that he had been deceived in loaning her the sum for a business and did not have sexual relations with her.
Police said at a press conference on Tuesday (July 15) that Golf had spent most of the 385 million baht transferred to her in the past three years on gambling websites, according to the Associated Press.
The saga came to light in late-June after an abbot at a famous temple suddenly fled and left monkhood a few days later.
Police investigations linked Golf to the matter, and it was found that she had allegedly demanded over seven million baht from him for 20 years in child support, according to the Bangkok Post.
A search of her house in early July uncovered five phones containing 80,000 photos and videos of her and several senior monks in intimate settings.
Police said they also secured clips and chat records from the devices as evidence of extortion and blackmail.
When questioned earlier, she reportedly admitted to having sexual relations with nine monks.
Another three monks, including Phra Theppatcharaporn, are believed to have had non-sexual relationships with the suspect, while more monks are still being investigated, reported Bangkok Post.
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