Two senior Buddhist monks in Thailand disrobed on July 15 as a growing sex and financial misconduct scandal deepens, involving multiple temples and a woman known by the nickname “Golf.” Their departure brings the number of monks who have left the order over the case to at least eight.
Amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety, two more high-ranking Thai monks left the monkhood on Monday, July 15. The resignations are the latest development in a widening scandal that has rocked Thailand’s monastic community, centering around alleged illicit relationships and questionable money transfers involving a woman identified only as “Golf.”
Phra Thepatcharaporn, the abbot of Wat Chujit Thammaram in Ayutthaya’s Wang Noi district, disrobed in front of fellow monks, with law enforcement and officials from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission in attendance. He was subsequently taken to the Anti-Corruption Division of the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok for questioning.
Meanwhile, Phra Prariyatthada, an assistant to the abbot of Wat Kalayanamitr in Bangkok, resigned at Wat Ban Khai in Rayong province. He had reportedly been absent from his temple for several days after being named in connection with the scandal.
The case has drawn national attention due to the nature of the alleged misconduct. Investigators say several senior monks maintained improper relationships with the 35-year-old woman, who allegedly presented herself as a member of Bangkok’s elite society. Authorities suspect that at least seven or eight monks, either active or recently disrobed, were romantically or financially linked to her.
One of the earliest resignations came from Phra Khru Siriwiriyathada, who stepped down on July 11 at Charoen Dhamma Forest Monastery in Chaiyaphum province.
The investigation gained momentum after surveillance revealed suspicious money transfers from Wat Tritossathep in Bangkok to Ms. Golf. Phra Thepwachirapamok, the monk responsible for the transactions, has since resigned from Wat Chan Samakkhi in Nong Khai and is believed to have fled to Laos.
On July 4, police raided Ms. Golf’s residence in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi, where they recovered five mobile phones containing over 80,000 explicit photos and videos, many reportedly involving monks. Several temples in Phichit, Phetchabun, Khon Kaen, and Samut Sakhon provinces are now also under scrutiny. Authorities have noted that some monks appear to have gone missing from their temples since the scandal broke.
Despite the severity of the allegations, police have not filed formal charges, citing the absence of complaints and the legal ambiguity surrounding religious figures in such cases. Under current law, prosecutions related to monastic conduct typically require clear evidence of misused temple funds.
Push for Legal Reforms
The scandal has reignited calls for legal reform. The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) has announced plans to revive a draft bill that would introduce stricter penalties for monastic misconduct and those who facilitate it. The proposed amendments include prison terms of one to seven years and fines ranging from 20,000 to 140,000 baht for monks convicted of serious violations. Similar penalties would apply to laypersons who knowingly engage in sexual acts with monks or who falsely endorse their spiritual authority.
NOB Director Ittiporn Chan-iam confirmed that consultations are underway with Suchart Tancharoen, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office in charge of religious affairs, to establish a committee that will revise and advance the bill for approval by the Sangha Supreme Council.
Former Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat has endorsed the proposed legislation, arguing that traditional monastic discipline alone is insufficient in the modern context. Writing on Facebook, he said, “Those who cannot live up to the monastic code should disrobe voluntarily rather than tarnish the image of the faith.”
