Overview

• Wilawan Emsawat was detained on July 15 in Nonthaburi and now faces charges of extortion, money laundering and receiving stolen property.
• Police seized over 80,000 intimate photos, videos and chat logs used to blackmail at least nine high-ranking monks.
• Investigators traced about 385 million baht transferred to Wilawan over three years, with the majority spent on online gambling.
• Nine abbots and senior monks have been defrocked and expelled following a nationwide probe triggered by a temple abbot’s sudden departure.
• Interim Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered a review of monastic financial rules and established a reporting channel for misconduct allegations.