Thailand's Buddhist monastic order is facing a significant scandal, with multiple high-ranking monks reportedly implicated in allegations of sexual misconduct involving a single woman.

Authorities apprehended a 35-year-old woman on Tuesday, who allegedly engaged in sexual relationships with senior monks and subsequently extorted them.

She has been charged with blackmail, money laundering, and fraud.

While the total number of monks involved remains unclear, local media reports suggest that it could be as many as 15, with the misconduct spanning several years.

The investigation was initiated following the unexpected resignation of an abbot from a well-known temple in Bangkok last month, initially concerning alleged financial mismanagement within the temple.

The case escalated when the woman claimed to be pregnant with the abbot's child and requested approximately $220,000 in financial assistance.

Investigators discovered that $11.8 million had circulated through her bank accounts, leaving only $250 remaining, indicating substantial expenditure, primarily on online gambling activities.

Law enforcement officials have reported uncovering tens of thousands of images and video clips on the woman's mobile devices.

Additionally, she reportedly has several children, purportedly fathered by some of the implicated monks.

Following the scandal, multiple monks have been expelled from the monastic order.

Footage has emerged of one monk shedding his orange robes for simple white clothing and praying before his colleagues, marking his departure from the religious community.

Predominantly, the people of Thailand adhere to Theravada Buddhism, which enforces a strict celibacy code for monks, prohibiting any physical contact with women and dictating a lifestyle characterized by simplicity and minimal worldly possessions.

However, scandals involving monks have surfaced regularly, encompassing abuses of power, sexual misdeeds, the sale of questionable religious relics, and significant embezzlement of temple funds.

These incidents have eroded the credibility of the monastic order, which is expected to be a moral compass within Thai society.

Consequently, there is evidence suggesting a decline in interest among young Thais in pursuing ordination as monks.

This trend is contributing to a growing number of vacant temples, particularly in rural areas, depriving communities of a vital spiritual resource.

The situation has prompted the National Office of Buddhism, the government entity overseeing Buddhist affairs, to prepare legislative amendments aimed at criminalizing sexual relationships between laypeople and monks.

The effectiveness of these proposed changes in restoring confidence in Buddhism among the Thai populace remains to be seen.

President Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola will begin using cane sugar in its U.S. production of Coca-Cola, marking a shift from the long-standing use of high-fructose corn syrup.

The announcement follows discussions between the administration and major beverage manufacturers over domestic ingredient sourcing and health-related consumer trends.

Thailand is preparing to launch a national digital asset sandbox designed to allow foreign tourists to convert cryptocurrencies into baht for spending during their stay.

The initiative, a joint effort between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Thailand, is currently under public consultation and aims to support innovation in digital finance while enhancing the competitiveness of Thailand’s tourism sector.

The sandbox will permit foreign tourists to exchange digital assets through licensed digital asset exchanges, brokers, and dealers.

Converted baht must be spent through e-money service providers regulated by the central bank.

Direct use of digital assets for payments remains prohibited.

The entire process will be conducted within a controlled environment regulated by the SEC, the Bank of Thailand, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, and other authorities.

The proposal builds on previous regional initiatives, including a pilot proposal focused on Phuket.

Unlike earlier concepts, the new sandbox extends nationwide and is backed by Thailand’s principal financial regulators.

Licensed service providers will be able to operate within the sandbox for up to 18 months, with the possibility of extensions subject to regulatory approval.

The scope of the sandbox is limited to foreign tourists temporarily residing in or visiting Thailand, and participating entities must integrate with e-money services to facilitate electronic payments.

Regulatory conditions for participants include strict anti-money laundering compliance, operational eligibility requirements, defined service scopes, and caps on tourist spending volumes.

The SEC has stated that these measures aim to ensure both consumer protection and financial system integrity.

Industry stakeholders, including executives from digital asset firms, have expressed support for the initiative.

The co-founder of Binance TH described the framework as a structured evolution of prior sandbox concepts and noted that it demonstrates Thailand’s continued interest in promoting responsible crypto adoption.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by local tourism operators.

Representatives from the Tourism Council of Thailand noted a lack of public awareness and called for greater clarity on regulatory implementation, especially regarding anti-money laundering safeguards and the selection of eligible cryptocurrencies.

Some stakeholders also highlighted the need to ensure that the broader digital payment infrastructure is ready to support increased use of digital assets by foreign tourists.

The SEC indicated that it is still accepting public feedback on the sandbox framework.

Once finalized, the initiative is expected to serve as a regulatory testing ground for integrating digital asset conversion into Thailand’s tourism economy under tightly monitored conditions.

The United States continues to escalate its restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports to China, despite lobbying efforts by companies like Nvidia and other U.S. chipmakers.

The export controls, part of Washington's broader national security strategy, aim to limit Beijing's access to cutting-edge chip technology that could be used for military and surveillance applications.