Reviewing the 2025 scandals shaking the Buddhist monastic community: "Si Ka Golf - Thid Yaem - Thid George" involving illicit relationships with senior monks and massive embezzlement of temple funds, causing losses worth tens of billions of baht.
The year 2025 saw major scandals in the Buddhist clergy that severely shook the faith of many Thais. Among these, three major cases became epic news stories involving dozens of senior monks, with damages estimated in the tens of billions of baht. Special news team, Thairath Online Chronology
The issue began around June 2025 when it was discovered that a "Si Ka" (female lay devotee) was extorting Venerable Thep Wachirapamok, also known as "Chaokhun Arsh" a senior royal monk and former abbot of Wat Trithothep in Bangkok. Their relationship started in May 2024 but later ended. The woman then claimed to have a child and demanded 7 million baht in support.
It was later revealed that this woman was named "Si Ka Golf" Ms. Wilawan, age 35. As authorities expanded their financial investigations, they found that she had intimate relationships with many senior monks holding abbot and ecclesiastical positions.
A search of her mobile phone uncovered over 80,000 private photos and videos with monks, which were used for blackmail. Financial trails revealed involvement with multiple temples, with 385 million baht circulating over three years. Almost all funds were withdrawn, leaving only 8,000 baht in the account. Funds were used for online gambling, with losses reaching as much as 500,000 baht per session.
As a result of this case, Si Ka Golf was arrested and charged with seven serious offenses, including supporting officials in misconduct, money laundering, and receiving stolen property. She is currently detained at the Central Women's Correctional Institution. Meanwhile, over 13 senior monks involved were defrocked, and some faced charges of embezzling temple and donation funds (read more: )Thirteen senior monks defrocked in connection with Si Ka Golf, with six from the highest ecclesiastical rank)
This issue began in April 2025 when Dr. Trin Phoraksa, a criminologist and professor in the Department of Social Sciences (Criminology), brought complainants to meet with officers from Division 1, Crime Suppression Division, to report that Mr. Seksan Subsepsakul, also known as "Doctor Bee, the spirit medium," who was collecting donations for Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu, a famous temple in Lopburi province that cares for AIDS patients, was involved in embezzling donation money. The account reportedly received over 300 million baht.
Upon investigation, authorities found that Doctor Bee did not deliver all donated funds to Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu. Evidence suggested he used some money for personal gain and gave part to Venerable Alongkot, the abbot. Further investigation revealed that Venerable Alongkot, upon receiving money from Doctor Bee as the temple's representative, did not deposit it into the temple's account but embezzled it for personal use, lending it to outsiders and buying personal assets. The media and social networks uncovered several irregularities in Venerable Alongkot’s background, such as using a deceased person's ID card and falsifying educational and work history.
Ultimately, on 26 August 2025, authorities arrested Venerable Alongkot on charges of embezzlement, misconduct in office, money laundering, and conspiracy to launder money. Doctor Bee faced charges of aiding embezzlement, dereliction of duty, and money laundering.
Authorities later seized assets back to Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu worth over 10 billion baht, including two land deeds from close associates valued at 70 million baht, 21 deposit checks under others’ names worth 52 million baht, and 60 vehicles such as cars, vans, pickup trucks, tractors, and trucks (read more: )Three months to seize assets back to the temple from former Venerable Alongkot and Doctor Bee, assets worth billions)
This issue began after the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) received complaints that "Chaokhun Yaem" or Phra Thammavajiranuwat, the regional ecclesiastical chief of Region 14 and abbot of Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom province, borrowed money from monks and laypeople without repayment.
The Crime Suppression Division then infiltrated the temple for over eight months, gathering evidence of misconduct, confirming embezzlement and inappropriate use of temple funds totaling over 300 million baht. Money was transferred to the account of a close female devotee named Ms. Aranyawan, also known as "Si Ka Ken," to gamble. Financial investigation of this woman revealed turnover exceeding 2 billion baht, linked to an online gambling network.
On 15 May 2025, authorities arrested Chaokhun Yaem and accomplices on multiple charges, including embezzlement and misconduct in office. Most recently, on 11 November 2025, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) announced the seizure and freezing of assets in the Thid Yaem case totaling 413 million baht, including 205 items such as land, vehicles, jewelry, and bank deposits worth 41 million baht, and the gambling website 888point.com’s land and deposits valued at 161 million baht (read more: )The Wat Rai Khing case: secret characters and billion-baht donation money moved through Si Ka Ken’s accounts)
