Thailand defrocks 6 monks as sex and blackmail scandal engulfs Buddhist clergy

Authorities say a prominent temple abbot fled to Laos after a woman threatened to expose their affair if he did not pay her US$240,000

Six senior monks in Thailand have been defrocked and two others are missing after authorities uncovered tens of thousands of pornographic images and videos allegedly featuring a woman in sexual acts with high-ranking clergy – a scandal that has rocked the kingdom’s conservative Buddhist establishment.

The investigation began after the sudden disappearance of the abbot of Wat Tritossathep, a prominent temple in Bangkok, raised suspicions of misconduct. Eleven monks have so far been implicated, according to the Thaiger news website.

The case came to light when police raided the home of a 35-year-old woman on July 4 in connection with an investigation into the disappearance, the Bangkok Post reported.

The abbot, identified only as Arch, abruptly left the monkhood and severed contact with both the temple and his family in June, raising suspicions of fraud or romantic affairs.

Upon investigation, authorities found that Arch had been in a relationship with a woman, known by her nickname of “Sika Kor” or Golf. When Arch tried to break up with her, she allegedly claimed she was pregnant and demanded 7.8 million baht (US$241,000) from him.

Arch found out that her pregnancy claim was false and refused to give her the money, so she shared their private conversations with senior monks. Fearing a scandal, he fled to Laos.

Anti-corruption officials said Golf later admitted to the affair and allowed them to search her home, where they discovered more than 80,000 pornographic images and videos stored on five mobile phones. Some of the footage depicted her engaged in sexual acts with senior monks, investigators said.

She also provided police with a list of monks and influential laymen – including politicians – whom she claimed to have had affairs with. Golf told police that she had children with some of the men but registered male relatives as the fathers. She admitted to having blackmailed other monks as well, coercing them into giving her money to support her online gambling habit.

Under the present law, the National Office of Buddhism cannot take action against the men because there is no punishment for wayward monks or lay people who cause damage to the religion.

However, the office said on Friday that it would file criminal complaints if the monks were found to have misappropriated temple funds to support Golf or for personal use, as in Arch’s case.

The office’s director Ittiporn Chan-iam has vowed to “turn this crisis into an opportunity” by pushing for an amendment that would add harsher penalties for wrongdoing.

Currently, the office can only defrock violators of monastic rules and let them walk free. Ittiporn said the office was proposing jail terms of one to seven years and fines ranging from 20,000 baht (US$620) to 140,000 baht for monks who are expelled from the order.

The same penalties would apply to laypersons, regardless of gender, who knowingly have sexual affairs with monks or novices, he added.

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In parallel, the Sangha Supreme Council, the highest governing body of the Buddhist order, is forming a special committee to review monastic regulations in light of the scandal.

“There is a need to address loopholes in monastic law and restore public trust”, said Chatchapol Chaiyaporn, the council’s acting secretary general.