Who Is Wilawan Emsawat? Thai Woman Who Trapped Monks With 80,000 Nudes, Social Media And Extorted Rs 100 Cr In Blackmail | World News
Thailand is facing one of the worst and shocking sex scandals. Shocking because monks are involved. The accused is Wilawan Emsawat. The victims are monks and abbots among others. They were lured using social media. Then, their intimate videos were recorded. The same was used to blackmail them. Police have arrested the woman who was identified as Wilawan Emsawat. She lured Buddhist monks into sexual relationships to break their vow of celibacy and then used the videos/nudes to blackmail them and extort money.
According to reports, at least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been cast out of the monkhood. The Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said that they found messages and intimate videos involving several Buddhist leaders on her phones. They also discovered that she had used the blackmail money to spend heavily on illegal online gambling.
Who Is Wilawan Emsawat?
Wilawan Emsawat, also known as “Sika Golf,” was arrested at her upscale residence in Nonthaburi, just outside Bangkok. The woman, in her mid-30s, is now facing charges including extortion, money laundering, and possession of stolen property.
Police allege that Wilawan had sexual relationships with at least nine Buddhist monks. Several of them reportedly confessed to these relationships, which allegedly began after she contacted them on social media. One monk said he had been in a long-term affair with her and had even received a car as a gift—until he discovered she was involved with another monk, after which she began demanding money, said reports.
Authorities believe Wilawan earned roughly 385 million baht (about Rs 102 crore) over three years through blackmail. Investigators say they found over 80,000 explicit photos and videos featuring her and various monks, all recorded at her home. These materials were allegedly used to extort money from her victims.
According to media reports, the scandal came to light in June when the abbot of a Bangkok monastery abruptly left the monkhood. Police say he fled after being blackmailed by Wilawan, who later claimed he fathered her child.
A Senate committee has now suggested changing laws to criminalize women who have sexual relationships with monks—a proposal that has sparked backlash from critics who argue that men should be equally accountable for their actions.
Scandals within Thailand’s Buddhist clergy, known as the Sangha, often involve either sex or money. But the involvement of such senior monks in this case has made it particularly explosive.
