80,000 photos: How a Thai woman extorted ₹100 crore by blackmailing monks after sex

A woman in Thailand, identified as "Ms Golf," has been arrested for allegedly having sexual relations with at least nine Buddhist monks and then using explicit photos and videos to blackmail them for large sums of money, according to a report by the BBC. The scandal has rocked Thailand’s highly respected Buddhist monastic community, which has already been under scrutiny due to previous controversies involving drug trafficking and sexual misconduct.

Thai police allege that "Ms Golf" extorted around 385 million baht (over ₹100 crore) over the past three years through this scheme. A raid at her home earlier this month uncovered more than 80,000 images and videos, which were reportedly used in the blackmail operation.

The investigation began in mid-June after the sudden disappearance of the abbot of a Bangkok monastery. Authorities later found that he had allegedly fallen victim to extortion by "Ms Golf." In one case, she reportedly "had a relationship" with the monk in May 2024, later claiming to be pregnant with his child and demanding over seven million baht (around ₹1.8 crore) as child support, as per the BBC report.


As police dug deeper, they found that other monks had also transferred money to her in similar circumstances. Investigators noticed a consistent pattern in her methods, which they identified as her modus operandi. Financial records revealed that most of the extorted funds had been withdrawn, with a large portion allegedly spent on online gambling.

"Ms Golf" now faces multiple criminal charges, including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen property. In response to the scandal and growing public concern, Thai authorities have also launched a hotline allowing people to report "misbehaving monks," as part of a wider effort to cleanse the clergy and rebuild public trust in the country’s religious institutions.