Thai monk commits suicide after being blackmailed with explicit video
A Thai monk committed suicide at a temple in the southern province of Chum Phon on Friday, after a call centre scam blackmailed him with an explicit video and swindled him out of 30,000 baht.
Officers from Lamae Police Station were called to Nong Bua Boat Temple in the Lamae district of Chumphon to investigate the death of the 50 year old monk, Suraphon. He was found Friday, March 7, hanging in his accommodation within the temple.
Footage on Suraphon’s mobile phone and CCTV cameras within the temple captured his final moments. A suicide note was found at the scene. In the note, he said he had a personal problem and had made a mistake that no one could forgive, so he chose to end his life.
The temple’s advisor, 68 year old Sawat, reported that a call centre scam repeatedly called Suraphon’s phone after his death, demanding money. The scammer refused to believe that Suraphon had taken his own life and reportedly said…
“Are you dead? You die? If you are still alive and lying to me, you will see what I can do to you.”
Further investigation revealed that Suraphon was tricked into sending the explicit video to the scammer, who then used the footage to blackmail him.
The scammer demanded 30,000 baht from Suraphon on the day of the incident. Unable to provide the sum, the monk borrowed it from another monk and immediately transferred the money to the scam gang, fearing the video would be leaked.
Suraphon’s body was discovered at around 3pm on the same day, with the phone footage and CCTV indicating that he took his own life at approximately 1pm.
Suraphon’s family collected all transfer receipts and shared them with the police in the hope of tracking down the scam gang and bringing them to justice. However, the bank account used is suspected to belong to a mule account holder, making it more challenging for officers to trace the individuals behind the operation.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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