A senior Thai Buddhist monk, Phra Wachirayan Wi, has confessed to a two-year affair with a woman after CCTV footage of the pair having sex inside his temple residence was widely broadcast on Thai media. The 66-year-old abbot of the 14th-century Wat Phutthaisawan temple in Ayutthaya was arrested alongside the 47-year-old woman on charges including embezzlement and money laundering, in a case that has deepened public concern over financial misconduct within Thailand's clergy following a string of similar scandals.

Police say the sums involved have grown substantially since the investigation began in mid-July, following an anonymous tip-off, with the total now estimated at 215 million baht (£4.8 million), alongside seized gold, jewellery, gemstones and land deeds. Investigators found that donations totalling roughly £2million intended for temple renovations and amulet sales never reached the temple's official accounts. The woman is accused of helping to convert and conceal the funds. The abbot, previously well known for producing amulets worn by prominent figures including the prime minister, has been defrocked and has not commented publicly.