Thailand defrocks 6 senior 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
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.
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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.