A scandal has erupted in Thailand after the arrest of a woman who blackmailed monks after sexual intercourse with them, asking for large sums of money not to publish their pornographic material.

Thailand police report that “Mrs Golf”, as they call it in the official documents, blackmailed at least 9 monks And it is estimated that it has received about $ 11.9 million in the last three years.

This scandal is the last to shock the Buddhist community, which in recent years has been plagued by complaints about monks involved in sexual offenses and drug trafficking.

The case began to unfold when authorities learned that one solitary to Bangkok suddenly abandoned monastic life, After blackmailing a woman.

“Mrs. Golf” allegedly had a relationship with him from May 2024 and claimed he had a child, asking him Nutrition over $ 215,000.

Authorities then discovered that and Other monks had carried money In the same way, this seems to be her “modus operandi”.

Police in her investigation found that almost all the money had disappeared, and money had been used in online gambling. When researchers did research at her home earlier this month, seized the phones her and they found More than 80,000 photos and videos used for blackmail.

Mrs. Golf is facing multiple categories, including blackmail, money laundering and the acceptance of stolenes.

Police have also opened a telephone line for citizens to report similar incidents to monks.

The scandal pushed the Supreme Council Sangha – The Buddhist Buddhist Buddh – to make up special committee to review the regulations for monks.

At the same time, the government is pushing for stricter penalties – such as fines and imprisonment – for monks who violate the monastic code.

This week, the King of Thailand recalled a royal command he had issued in June to award higher titles to 81 monks. He cited cases of misconduct, which, he said, “caused the Buddhists a big headache.”

In Thailand, where more than 90% of the population are Buddhists and the monks are highly appreciated. In fact, many Thai are choosing to be ordained temporarily as monks to accumulate good karma. But the Buddhist institution has been affected by such scandals.