Police are set to screen the backgrounds of approximately 300,000 Buddhist monks across Thailand following a high-profile scandal involving several senior monks and a woman known as “Sika Golf,” who was arrested earlier this week.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Parnkaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said on Wednesday that police have formally requested the ID card numbers of all monks from the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) to carry out background checks aimed at identifying individuals with criminal records or misconduct.
“There are roughly 300,000 monks in the country,” Jaroonkiat said. “We want to ensure that those with a history of wrongdoing are identified.”
He added that police will also revisit previously dismissed cases involving monks, many of which were shelved by the NOB.
The CIB deputy commissioner criticised the lack of effective collaboration from the NOB in the past, saying the agency had not shown enough urgency in addressing misconduct in the clergy.
“This time, we won’t be lenient,” he said. “I don’t want these problems to remain a cancer in the side of Buddhism.”
While the police are pushing forward with investigations to protect the integrity of Buddhism, Jaroonkiat noted that ultimate disciplinary authority still rests with the NOB.
The renewed crackdown follows the recent launch of a dedicated police centre to investigate monk misconduct, which has already been inundated with complaints.
Many reports involve senior monks allegedly engaging in sexual relationships with women, including but not limited to the woman known as “Sika Golf.”
Wilawan “Golf” Emsawat, 35, was arrested at her home in Nonthaburi on Tuesday. She is accused of abetting a senior monk in embezzling temple funds, laundering money, and handling stolen property.
Investigators believe she had sexual relations with about 10 monks, some of them elderly and revered, and extorted large sums of money from them.
Police say they have collected substantial evidence, including explicit videos stored on her mobile phones, and plan to press further charges.
In traditional Thai culture, the term “Sika” refers to a woman who is closely associated with a monk.
