【Several Thai Buddhist monks involved in a sexual scandal have caused public shock, and the King of Thailand has made an unusual public criticism】In July this year, the monk community, long regarded as a "moral model" in Thai society, was seriously disturbed by a case of sexual assault and blackmail. It was found that several high-ranking monks violated strict monastic rules and had sexual relations with a woman, who is said to have then extorted large sums of money from them.

As these serious accusations spread to the senior ranks of the monks, this scandal immediately triggered a public crisis of trust in Buddhism in Thailand, and the Thai royal family and government also made an unusual response, forcing them to take action.

In mid-July this year, King Maha Vajiralongkorn expressed concern about this incident, calling the improper behavior of the monks "a great source of pain for Buddhist believers." In addition, he revoked the royal decree issued in June this year that granted honorary titles to 81 monks. It is reported that the King's public criticism of the improper behavior of Buddhist monks is extremely rare.

To deal with the ongoing crisis, Acting Prime Minister Prawit has instructed relevant agencies to strengthen legal supervision over Buddhist monks and temples, focusing on increasing financial transparency. In addition, the Thai parliament has begun drafting legislation to criminalize sexual relationships involving monks.

This scandal came to light after the Thai police announced the arrest of a woman in her thirties on July 15. The woman, named Wirawat, is suspected of having sexual relations with at least 13 monks over the past three years and extorting 385 million baht (about 85 million yuan) from them.

According to reports, Wirawat faces serious charges including extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen property. So far, nine senior monks among the 13 involved have either renounced their monastic status or been expelled from the monastic community. With the screening of photos, videos, and chat records by the police, the number of people involved is expected to increase.

The mobile phone confiscated from the woman contained approximately 5,000 photos and videos of monks, which she attempted to use for blackmail. In one case, a monk is said to have withdrawn 380,000 baht from his temple account and transferred it to himself and the woman. In addition, the Thai police are investigating cases of embezzlement by these monks.

The mainstream Buddhism in Thailand is Theravada Buddhism, which emphasizes strict adherence to monastic rules, especially prohibiting contact with women. Although there have been previous cases of sexual scandals involving monks, this case is particularly serious because it involves high-ranking monks.

According to the Thai government's statistics, as of 2023, there are about 250,000 monks nationwide. Among them, approximately 19,000 monks hold senior positions, accounting for less than 10% of the total number of monks. In this scandal, at least six people were in the top 1% group of the highest-ranking monks.

After the exposure of this scandal, the National Institute of Development Administration in Thailand released a public opinion survey titled "Crisis in Buddhism" on July 20. The results showed that nearly 60% of respondents expressed a decrease in trust in monks. Additionally, about 90% of respondents supported criminal punishment for monks who violated monastic rules.

About 90% of the Thai population practices Buddhism. For men, becoming a monk is a common rite of passage, and Buddhist teachings deeply influence their daily lives, such as the national "No Alcohol Day" - bars, restaurants, and convenience stores are prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages.

In Thai tradition, high-ranking monks are considered moral role models, so the recent scandal has had a wide impact on Thai society.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839498157798476/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.