BANGKOK — Friday, July 18, appears to be the first day that the wave of monks leaving the monkhood has begun to subside following the sex and financial scandal involving Miss Golf, also known as Seeka Golf, a 35-year-old woman.
Since the news first broke on July 4, a total of 13 monks have disrobed—starting with Phra Khun Aat, the abbot of Wat Tritosathep, a well-known temple in Bangkok—who quietly disrobed at a temple in Nong Khai province in northeastern Thailand.
Police Investigation Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, revealed that the case began with complaints to senior clergy about inappropriate behavior by Phra Khun Aat. Senior monks asked him to disrobe, but he refused, until the matter eventually reached police hands.
Upon investigation, they discovered his relationship with Miss Golf – Ms. Wilawan Emsawat – and proceeded to examine financial flows through her accounts totaling 385 million baht ($12 million) over three years, connecting her to more than 20 other monks. Media outlets have dubbed this case the “Seeka Golf Universe.”
Shockwaves Through the Monastic Community
The story of Miss Golf, one woman who had relationships with multiple monks, has captured public attention for two weeks. The investigation covers police work, the amounts of money each monk transferred to her, and her background – raising questions about how she managed to become intimate with senior monks and accumulate 5,593 compromising files on her phone out of 80,763 total files for blackmail purposes.
This scandal has put pressure on related government agencies, particularly the Office of National Buddhism, raising questions about whether they neglected their duties or helped cover up monastic misconduct.
Special Task Force Established
In response to these criticisms, National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet announced the establishment of a temporary Buddhist Affairs Support Center to receive complaints and investigate misconduct by monks, coordinating with all relevant agencies including police, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, and officials from the Office of National Buddhism, with the Central Investigation Bureau commander as director.
The Supreme Patriarch expressed concern through Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, stating that under Buddhist law, such conduct warrants the ultimate punishment of expulsion from monkhood. For secular matters, he emphasized decisive action regardless of who is involved, including amending laws to increase penalties if necessary.
Miss Golf Faces Financial Charges
Current law under the Sangha Act of 1960 doesn’t cover accomplices to monastic misconduct. Police cannot charge individuals who have sexual relations with monks.
In Miss Golf’s case, she wasn’t prosecuted for sexual relationships with monks but was arrested and issued a detention warrant on July 17 for financial crimes related to money she received from monks – some of which wasn’t their personal funds but temple money. She faces charges including:
- Supporting embezzlement by officials responsible for managing property
- Supporting official misconduct causing damage to others
- Conspiracy to launder money and money laundering
13 Disgraced Monks
As of July 17, 13 monks connected to the Seeka Golf case had disrobed, all from central and lower northern Thailand:
- Phra Thepwachirapamok, Abbot of Wat Tritosathep Worawihan, Bangkok
- Phra Palat Suraphon, Abbot of Wat Phromkesorn, Phitsanulok
- Phra Thepwachirathiraphon, Abbot of Wat Phraphutthachai, Saraburi
- Phra Thepwachirathirakun, Assistant Abbot of Wat Paknam Phasicharoen, Bangkok
- Phra Maha Bunloet, Monk at Wat Mai Yai Paen, Bangkok
- Phra Khru Siriviriyathada, Assistant Abbot of Wat Sothorn Wararam, Chachoengsao
- Phra Pariyattithada, Assistant Abbot of Wat Kalyanamitworamahawihan, Bangkok
- Phra Theppatcharaphon, Abbot of Wat Chujitthammaratram, Ayutthaya
- Phra Thepwatcharasitthimethi, Abbot of Wat Tha Luang, former Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief, Phichit
- Phra Ratchratanasuthi, Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief, Phitsanulok
- Phra Theppawaramethi, Assistant Abbot of Wat Prayurawongsawasworawihan, Bangkok
- Phra Khru Sri Rattanawichian, Abbot of Wat Tha Bua Thong, Phichit
- Phra Maha Thiwakorn Deeprai, Abbot of Wat Yai Chom Prasat, Samut Sakhon
Miss Golf: “Poverty is Frightening”
Before her arrest, Miss Golf gave an interview to popular host Kanchai Kamnerdploy on the talk show “Hone Krasae” (Hot Topics) on Channel 3 and YouTube. Throughout the conversation, she repeatedly cited poverty as her motivation: “Poverty is frightening,” especially when she has children to support.
She now has three children – the youngest born with a monk. She was also pregnant by two other monks but had abortions.
She emphasized that she wasn’t a predator – none of the monks she had relationships with came from her visiting temples to make merit. She never went to temples for merit-making. All contacts began through social media chats, with many asking to meet her.
Abandoned by Father, Failed Partnerships
Miss Golf, from Phichit province, described herself as an ordinary person whose father left during her teenage years. Her mother did car care work, earning only 80 baht for a full day’s work, which she saw as hard work for little pay.
Moving to Bangkok, she sold clothes at Pantip Plaza and lived with two ordinary men unsuccessfully, including the father of her first child – a DJ who turned out to be married and wouldn’t acknowledge paternity.
Seeking someone to acknowledge her child led her to ask the abbot of Wat Phromkesorn in Phitsanulok to serve as the child’s father figure, causing people to mistakenly think she had a child with him. This monk has cared for her child, now 13, though he wasn’t the first monk she had relationships with.
First Relationship with Monk
Her first monastic relationship was with the Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief of Phichit, abbot of Wat Tha Luang, from 2013-2014. He contacted her first through social media before calling her to his quarters. Though initially feeling guilty, learning he had relationships with other women reduced her guilt, especially as he provided well financially, even buying her a Mercedes-Benz.
When local residents became suspicious, he told her to keep distance and move to Bangkok. During this time, she had relationships with another academic and a new monk, wanting a better life for her two children. Learning the Phitsanulok ecclesiastical chief also had relationships with other women, she ended it.
Temple Funds Used for Gambling
Subsequently, she connected with other monks through Facebook chats continuing on Line, exchanging compromising photos.
The monk who caused her prosecution without having physical relations was the abbot of Wat Chujit in Ayutthaya, who transferred 12.8 million baht of personal money and 380,000 baht of temple funds, which she used for online gambling. The temple money provided grounds for police prosecution.
Senior Monks Have Weaknesses and Money
Starting with the Phichit Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief, who enabled Miss Golf’s comfortable lifestyle, she saw opportunities to approach senior monks at famous temples for financial gain. She rented luxury homes for 30,000-40,000 baht monthly and hired luxury cars when visiting temples to appear wealthy.
“Senior monks have weaknesses and money. She targeted this angle to acquire wealth through every possible means of reaching them,” said Pol. Col. Anek Taosuparp, Deputy Commander of the Crime Suppression Division.
Probe Continues Beyond Disrobed Monks
Pol. Lt. Gen. Jaroonkiat stated that police will focus on investigating financial trails beyond just disrobed monks, targeting laypeople or those close to monks involved in corruption, including a former assistant abbot who transported merit money in pickup trucks to Seeka Golf multiple times.
“These matters require continuous action, and we cannot yet determine the full extent,” he concluded.
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