Thai woman filmed herself having sex with Buddhist monks and blackmailed them

Wilawan Emsawat, known as Sika Golf, is accused of being involved in secret relationships with 13 monks, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods.

The Central Investigation Bureau has said that she owned five mobile devices that contained clips and stills of her engaged in sexual acts with several monks.

Over the last three years, it is believed that she has raked in 385 million baht, which is approximately £8.8m.

So far, nine monks have been de-frocked, some of whom are abbots of well-known temples, and two others have gone to ground.

The case first came to the attention of Thai police in mid-June when an abbot in Bangkok suddenly left monkhood after being extorted by a woman.

Allegedly Ms Golf had claimed to have had his baby and was claiming millions of baht in child support - this is something that police claim is her 'modus operandi'.

Police said that almost all of the money had been withdrawn, and some of it had been used for online gambling.

The officer leading the investigation, Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, said: "Whoever violates the monastic code must disrobe.

"We want to preserve public trust in Buddhism. It’s a human weakness, but not one we can ignore."

One monk has admitted that she had gifted him a car during their secret romance, but said that things had broken down when he discovered she was involved with another monk.

It is not known whether the money she received from the monks was from their own personal funds or embezzled from their temples.

The Thai government is calling for harsher penalties for monks who breach the monastic code, and the police have set up a hotline for 'misbehaving monks'.

Sanitsuda Ekachai, a columnist for the Bangkok Post, wrote: "The scandal exposes a system of lies and hypocrisy among top monks.

"Women have long been depicted in mainstream teachings as ‘enemies’ of monks’ spiritual purity … and now, when the clergy’s moral decay is in full view, it’s the woman who takes the fall while the monks are cast as victims."