At least nine abbots and senior monks involved in the scandal have been disrobed and cast out of the monkhood, police said.

The scandal came to light when a well-known abbot fled to Laos, reportedly after refusing to pay a seven-million-baht demand. A police search of Emsawat's home uncovered five mobile phones containing more than 80,

Police in Thailand arrested a woman Tuesday who allegedly enticed a string of Buddhist monks into sexual relationships and then pressured them into making large payments to cover up their intimacy.