A woman alleged to be at the center of multiple sex scandals involving senior Buddhist monks was arrested on July 15, 2025, at a luxury residence in Nonthaburi. Authorities charged Wilawan Emsawat, also known as Golf, with money laundering, receiving stolen property, and abetting misconduct by public officials.
The arrest follows mounting public scrutiny over a series of sex scandals that have shaken Thailand’s monastic community. More than 20 senior monks are reportedly implicated in inappropriate relationships, with Wilawan believed to have had close or intimate ties to several of them.
According to police, the investigation uncovered that Wilawan had received 380,000 baht from Phra Thep Phatcharaporn, the former abbot of Chuchitthammaram Temple in Ayutthaya province. The funds were allegedly transferred from the temple’s official bank account.
Anti-corruption police have since filed separate charges of embezzlement and malfeasance in office against the former abbot. During questioning, he reportedly admitted to transferring a total of 12.8 million baht to Wilawan from his personal account before using the temple’s funds to send her the additional amount. He claimed that Wilawan had told him she needed the money for a ceramics investment and that she later returned part of the funds.
Police sources confirmed that the arrest was part of a wider investigation led by the Central Investigation Bureau. Deputy commissioner Pol Maj-Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew stated that further legal proceedings are expected as evidence continues to be examined.