Reverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith.The scandal provoked outrage over hypocrisy in the monkhood,

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

Four monks in Thailand's Sisaket province were arrested after testing positive for methamphetamine. The group admitted to taking the drug, claiming it was to relieve body aches - and to celebrate the start of Buddhist Lent.