A WOMAN has been arrested for allegedly filming herself having sex with Buddhist monks in a scandal that has rocked Thailand.

Wilawan Emsawat, 35, is said to have slept with several monks and has been accused of extorting a whopping nine million pounds in a blackmail plot.

The scandal was exposed when a Phra Thep Wachirapamok, a widely respected monk from his Buddhist temple in central Bangkok, abruptly renounced his monkhood and vanished.

But it soon emerged that Wachirapamok, better known as Arch, was allegedly in an illicit relationship with Emsawat, who reportedly claimed to be pregnant.

She is said to have demanded £179,000 in exchange for her silence.

But when the monk allegedly refused to pay the exorbitant sum, she exposed their affair to fellow monks in the temple – forcing Wachirapamok to reportedly flee the country in disgrace.

A sweep of the woman’s house found five mobile phones with tens of thousands of files reportedly containing compromising footage of the missing monk.

Some alleged pictures show Wirawan in explicit acts with other top-ranking monks and politicians.

Police Colonel Anek Taosuparp, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said Wirawan’s
modus operandi was to gain the monks’ trust before getting in a sexual relationship with them.

In an interview with Thai media aired on Wednesday, Wirawan admitted to having relationships with two monks and a religious professor, The Guardian reports.

She also admitted to receiving extravagant gifts, including a Mercedes-Benz SLK200 and “millions” of baht in the form of bank transfers and a personal bank card.

Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, said more than 12 Buddhist temples were under scrutiny following the scandal.

At least nine monks have so far voluntarily disrobed – and the number is expected to increase.

The Sangha Supreme Council, the highest governing Buddhist body in Thailand, said monastic regulations were being reviewed to create more modern sanctions.

Acting secretary Chatchapol Chaiyaporn said: “A new special committee will be formed to safeguard Buddhism, review the Sangha Act and other related laws, and enhance public communication.

“The proposal will be submitted to the Supreme Patriarch for approval.”

He added that loopholes in monastic law need to be addressed in order to restore public trust.

Ittiporn Chan-iam, director of the National Office of Buddhism, said the office was proposing jail terms of up to seven years and a fine of up to 140,000 baht (£3,200) for monks expelled from the order over serious monastic violations.

The same penalties would apply to common people who knowingly engage in sexual acts with Buddhist monks.

Buddhist monks take a vow of celibacy to detach themselves from worldly desires, which are seen as obstacles to spiritual enlightenment.

However, the Thai clergy have faced numerous sex scandals over the years, eroding public trust in the religious establishment.