An extortion scheme involving Buddhist monks in Thailand has drawn global attention, even prompting a shocked reaction from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. A woman accused of seducing at least 11 Thai monks, and secretly filming their trysts and trying to blackmail them, was arrested by the police on July 16, 2025. This came after she netted almost 370 million baht, or about $11.9 million in three years.The case broke in June when an abbot suddenly fled his monastery and made his way to Laos. Police found out that he was being extorted by Wilawan “Golf” Emsawat, 36, who allegedly demanded $222,000 after telling him she was pregnant with his child. When he refused, she threatened to reveal their affair, after which he fled.Police later raided Emsawat’s home, where they found 80,000 s*xually explicit photos and videos of her with other monks. They revealed she had received 385 million baht ($11.9 million) from her victims, much of it allegedly spent on online gambling.On July 24, 2025, Perez Hilton expressed his disbelief on the matter, writing on X:"Monks are sworn to celibacy. And aren't they supposed to be poor too? THIS is wild!"Thailand's Buddhist monks stripped of titles in extortion and s*x scandalThailand’s Buddhist monks hold a revered place in society, with 90% of the population following Theravada Buddhism. Monks are meant to be humble, eating from offerings people bring them and the small stipends they receive. However, public confidence has been undermined by the recent scandal.King Maha Vajiralongkorn has stripped the 11 Buddhist monks implicated in misconduct of their titles. He also rescinded a royal command assigning higher titles to 81 monks. He cancelled their invitations to his birthday celebrations, citing "inappropriate behaviour that caused mental distress among the Thai people", the BBC and AFP reported.For many Thais, the scandal is a blow to the credibility of Buddhism.Mongkol Sudathip, a motorbike taxi driver, told AFP he used to donate to temples but is now giving to charities instead."It feels more meaningful than giving money to temples," he told the outlet.Camphun Parimiphut, a security guard, still has faith in the Buddhist teachings after all of these years."You can lose faith in monks," he said. "But never lose trust in Buddhist teachings. They still teach us how to live a good life."The National Office of Buddhism and other lawmakers vowed reforms, including stricter financial oversight of temple donations, criminal penalties for Buddhist monks breaking vows, and a hotline for reporting misconduct.Wilawan Emsawat faces charges for extortion, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods. The implicated Buddhist monks have been defrocked, and police are expanding their probe nationwide.