According to reports, Emsawat allegedly managed to collect nearly £9 million by using intimate videos and pictures of her encounters with high-ranking monks to extort money from them.
Out of the 13 monks believed to be involved, nine have already been forced to disrobe. Authorities expect that the number of monks implicated in the case may continue to grow as the investigation unfolds.
“The scandal exposes a system of lies and hypocrisy among top monks.” wrote Sanitsuda Ekachai, a respected columnist for the Bangkok Post.
The public controversy first gained attention when Phra Thep Wachirapamok—better known by many as Arch stepped down from his role as abbot of the Wat Tri Thotsathep Worawihan temple in Bangkok. His sudden departure in June was followed by him disappearing across the border into Laos.
When he refused to give her the money, she exposed their affair to other monks at the temple. That revelation reportedly led to him fleeing the country in shame.
Authorities say all of the monks who were involved will now be required to disrobe as a result of violating these sacred vows.
One monk even admitted that Wilawan gave him a car during their affair. However, things turned ugly when he found out she was also romantically involved with another monk at the same time.
Officials from the Central Investigation Bureau believe that this case goes beyond just moral issues. They think it could involve serious financial crimes as well.
Transaction records from Wilawan’s bank accounts reportedly show a massive £8.8 million flowing through over the past three years. Authorities suspect that a big chunk of that money may have come from temple funds.
Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, who is leading the investigation, said his team is carefully going through each of the videos in order to identify instances of what they call “monastic unchastity.”
The scandal has deeply shaken the public in Thailand—a country where Buddhism is a major part of national identity and monks are widely respected for their spiritual role. But the case has also raised serious concerns about the direction the institution is heading.
Sanitsuda Ekachai shared her thoughts, writing: “Monks must ask themselves: Why did they enter monkhood? For spiritual training, or to climb the social ladder and gain wealth and power through the saffron robe?”
This unfolding case has not only shocked Buddhist followers but also triggered urgent conversations about discipline, transparency, and the internal decay that some say has taken hold at the heart of Thailand’s religious leadership.