Buddhist monks facing scandals involving sex tape, penis pump and drug smuggling…

A senior Buddhist monk in Thailand has been arrested following allegations of breaching his monastic vows and embezzling approximately £2 million intended for his monastery, according to the Daily Star. Abbot Phra Wachirayan Wi, 66, was implicated after footage surfaced showing him with a woman at his temple in Ayutthaya, sparking widespread coverage in Thai media.

The case is the latest in a string of scandals involving Buddhist clergy in Thailand. In July 2025, Wilawan Emsawat, known as “Sika Golf,” was detained over an alleged £9 million sextortion scheme in which she reportedly filmed herself with high-ranking monks before blackmailing them; police said she held roughly 80,000 images and clips.
Separately, a January raid on Phrom Sunthon Monastery in Chonburi province uncovered cash, a firearm, a penis pump, an escort directory and pornography, after villagers reported hearing gunshots.

Three monks tested positive for methamphetamine. Colonel Saksilp Kamnoedsin of Chonburi’s Internal Security Operations Command said the drug-using monks would be referred for rehabilitation, while the temple’s abbot was handed to immigration authorities. All four monks involved were defrocked.