nnThai police arrested Wilawan Emsawat on Tuesday for allegedly seducing senior Buddhist monks and blackmailing them using intimate evidence. At least nine abbots were defrocked after transferring over 385 million baht ($11.9M) from temple accounts to Wilawan. The scandal erupted when an abbot abruptly left monkhood after being threatened with pregnancy claims and intimate media found on Wilawan’s devices. Authorities state she targeted senior monks for financial gain, spending most extorted funds on online gambling. This case has triggered government reviews of temple financial transparency and monk conduct rules.