Anything & Everything about Thailand (Part 2)

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 17 April 2007 :-

Amulet lovers makes beeline for temple

Apart from the millions of baht spent on each new edition of the Jatukham Rammathep amulets, more than Bt700 million has been circulating each month in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where the amulets are produced.

More than 10,000 visitors from around the country arrive in this southern province each day, and the 6,000 available hotel rooms are regularly fully booked, said Wichoke Angmanee, a senior Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) official.

The number of tourists registered at hotels has risen 17 per cent since last year, when the amulets became extremely popular following the funeral of the late crimebuster Phantharak Rajjadej, who helped create the popular amulets.

Buddhist Malaysians and Singaporeans are also regular visitors to Nakhon Si Thammarat and frequently have their sons or nephews ordained as monks or novices during their school breaks at Mahathat Woramahawihan temple, at which official productions of the amulets are based.

However, Wichoke said the TAT would not rely solely on the promotion of Jatukham Rammathep amulets to boost tourism.

"The TAT's culture-oriented tourism will focus on helping the regular tourism industry continue and be sustained, with or without the popularity of the amulets involved," he said.

Jamorn Jaroenphibal, chairman of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Chamber of Commerce, said an additional Bt300 million to Bt400 million had been pumped into the province among general business-owners, including those directly involved with the sale and production of the amulets
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 17 April 2007 :-

Who is Jatukham Rammathep?

In light of last week's extraordinary scramble for coupons to buy a fervently desired amulet - which saw a woman crushed in a stampede at a temple in the South - many are asking just what is Jatukham Rammathep? And why does it produce such hysteria?

There are many legends about the origins of Jatukham Rammathep, the name used to identify a certain kind of amulet, but it is generally agreed that it goes way back in the mists of time, long before the northern kingdoms emerged.

Perhaps the most credible account is provided by late crime-buster Phantharak Rajjadej, who helped to create the famous amulets, as described in an almanac authored by Seawrite Award winner Jamlong Fangchollajit, a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat, where the history of it is set.

Jatukham Rammathep is two people, not one. The names are the aliases of brother princes Inthara Sairen and Inthara Khao Kheo, sons of King Jantharaphanu, who ruled the Sri Thammasoke realm, the capital of the Krung Srivijaya Kingdom (757-1257) in southern Thailand, after his father who founded it.

The Sri Thammasoke realm began to degenerate as a result of their father's absence of 20 years during which he expanded his dominion to as far as eastern India. The brothers founded a new capital at Chang Khom Sirithammarat (present day Nakhon Si Thammarat), and renamed the realm Srivijaya Suvarnabhumi.

Some legends say Jatukham Rammathep was another royal person living in a different era altogether, while others suggest it was a name given to King Jantharaphanu himself.

But all legends - under the influence of Mahayana Buddhism which was widely observed during the period - commonly believe that whatever king or royal person the name belongs to, the right holder of the name is an Avalokitesvara, a future Buddha after numerous rebirths committed to intense self-dedication and intense sacrifice.

Long after their deaths, the two princes continue to be idealised by succeeding generations of residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat and today are remembered by their preferred names of Jatukham and Rammathep as guardian angels.

The Jatukham Rammathep amulets were first produced in 1987 as part of the establishment of the province's Holy Pillar Shrine. The circular amulet, with a 5cm diameter, was priced at Bt39.

Today, the amulets sell for between Bt200 and Bt500 for the basic item, and as much as Bt1,000 for amulets produced in a limited edition. The prices can soar sharply by up to 10 times when their popularity peaks after just a few months. For example, the "Arch-Millionaire" series now trades at around Bt10,000 compared to about Bt150 when it was released in May last year.

The reported highest price ever paid for a single amulet is Bt1.2 million - by a mine owner to the original owner of a 1987 charm. An unconfirmed report earlier this year said the owner of a local lingerie store in the province sold a number of the amulets for Bt3.2 million to a buyer based in the United States.

There are more than 150 series of Jatukham Rammathep amulets planned for this year alone. Productions must be approved by the Pillar Shrine committee and the amulets are required to undergo Buddhist and Brahman blessing ceremonies held at the Holy Pillar Shrine or Mahathat Woramaha-wiharn temple in the province.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 18 April 2007 :-

361 killed in Songkran road accidents

361 were killed and 4,805 injured in road accidents nationwide during the seven-day period of Songkran which began last Wednesday, authorities said.

Khon Kaen topped the chart, with 16 killed. Nakhon Phanom ranked the second, with 15 killed, while Chiang Mai ranked the third, with 13 killed.

The accidents took place 4,214 times in the past seven days, according to statistics.

The death toll this year was 14 lower than those of last year.

On Tuesday alone, thirteen people got killed and 512 injured in 451 accidents, caused mostly by drunk-driving.

The government set week-long dangerous days and urged holiday-makers to be cautious while driving in a bid to lower the number of road casualties.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 18 April 2007 :-

Amulet fever brings B1bn windfall

Nakhon Si Thammarat - Jatukarm Ramathep amulet fever has injected more than one billion baht into Nakhon Si Thammarat's economy over the past 10 months, says a local banker. Hordes of Thai and foreign tourists flocked to the southern province over the Songkran holiday to buy Jatukarm Ramathep amulets.

Nielloware shops, printing houses, garment sellers, restaurants and hotels all report earning a windfall from the crowds the popular amulets have drawn.

Peerapong Mekha, manager of Siam Commercial Bank's Nakhon Si Thammarat branch, said at least one billion baht has poured into the province since the amulet fever began in the middle of last year.

Demand for what many believe to be sacred objects comes from people across Thailand and neighbouring countries.

At least 500 million baht from the amulet sales has gone through the five branches of Siam Commercial Bank in the province, said Mr Peerapong.

Thawee Plaiduang, 48, a former art teacher who now runs an amulet painting and design shop, said he has received many orders from customers who wanted their amulets painted in a gold colour.

His shop charges 15 baht per amulet for the service and paints more than 20,000 amulets a day, said Mr Thawee, adding he has hired 200 workers since the craze started.

Lek Pitsuwan, owner of a nielloware shop, said Jatukarm Ramathep fever has boosted her business. Many customers have asked her to make nielloware frames for the amulets and they buy necklaces and other nielloware products, she said.

Prices of nielloware frames have increased from 350 baht to 500-600 baht each, she said. She now earns more than 100,000 baht a day from sales, she said.

Prayoon Prom-ngern, owner of a printing shop, said business was brisk with many people buying posters to advertise the amulets. Since opening the shop 20 years ago he has never experienced such brisk business, he said.

Phra Rajthamsuthee, abbot of Wat Mahathat Voramahaviharn, said his temple is booked until January to perform religious rites to bless the amulets.

The temple receives 20,000 to 50,000 baht per ceremony and the money is used for temple development projects.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 18 April 2007 :-

Songkran soaked with unruly acts

Despite government warnings, a lot of people continued to misbehave during the Songkran celebrations which ended yesterday. During the past few years, government authorities have taken stern action against Songkran revellers who attacked passenger buses with plastic bags filled with iced water. A ban on high-pressure water guns also helped reduce injuries among celebrants.

Recently, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration banned the use of powder in the tourist area on Khao San Road and young people were urged to dress properly.

A strong campaign against alcohol consumption was also launched to minimise the number of road accidents and quarrels.

This year, water trucks were barred from entering all roads in the Rattanakosin area of Bangkok.

All these measures were meant to encourage Thais and tourists alike to celebrate the Songkran festival in a safe and orderly manner.

Despite the ban, several pickup trucks filled with Songkran revellers could be seen roaming Bangkok streets during the past five days.

These trucks were fitted with large water jars and passengers were forced to hang on precariously to the railings.

Sometimes these passengers jumped onto the streets and threw water at passers-by.

Many revellers set up roadblocks and ambushed passing motorcycles with water bombs.

We hope the authorities concerned will come up with more stringent measures to ward off these acts of misbehaviour next year. Songkran is a time for joy and celebration, and we can do it in a more decent way.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 18 April 2007 :-

KFC goes regional in bid to push sales - Offices planned to customise menus

Hot and spicy fried chicken and a cup of tuna corn salad may not be on the average Isan menu, but the fast-food chain KFC hopes to change that through a new approach targeting the Northeast. Yum Restaurants International (Thailand), which operates KFC in Thailand, recently set up a regional office in Nakhon Ratchasima to connect with Isan customers and learn about tastes of northeastern consumers.

''Local store marketing became an important strategy this year. So, it is necessary to decentralise our operational structure to help regional managers to understand local customers,'' said Sran Smutkochorn, the company's managing director.

''The new operations management system, which has been adopted from KFC China, will help us to gain access to customers faster,'' Mr Sran said.

He said KFC China adopted its innovative management system five years ago. It was very successful and contributed to KFC China becoming the world's fastest-growing fast-food restaurant brand. KFC China has three times more restaurants than its rival McDonald's.Even though KFC Thailand already has 307 locations covering 56 provinces, the company's new operational system will help company sales over the next three to five years and bring the number of stores to 450-500 outlets,'' Mr Sran said.

He insisted that despite the country's economic and political troubles, KFC will continue to invest in the Thai market. Its plans include spending 400-500 million baht per year from 2007-10 to open new outlets.

''Excluding China, Thailand is the only Asian country where Yum Restaurants invests its own money,'' said Mr Sran.

Yum owns 58% of KFC restaurants, with the remainder owned by Central Food Restaurants Group.

He said that KFC Malaysia operated a total of 400 outlets, serving a population of 20 million.

Mr. Sran noted that the lack of purchasing power in Thailand posed a challenge to the company's growth.

''Up to 40 million people have insufficient purchasing power. If the government can help to increase people's income ... it will offer a huge opportunity for KFC Thailand,'' he said.

In addition to Korat, KFC has set up an additional three regional offices at its Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok and Bangkok-Chon Buri Motorway locations.

While the company adopted some management methods from China, KFC Thailand will export its home-delivery service to its networks in the region.

''Thailand is the first country where KFC introduced delivery service eight years ago and it is now the biggest delivery brand in Thailand,'' he said, adding that KFC in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines had used Thailand's delivery service as a model.

Mr Sran expects that 15-17% of KFC's transactions will come from delivery service over the next three to five years, up from 10% at present.

Mr Sran, who has worked for KFC Thailand for 12 years, said that competition in fast-food restaurants was becoming more intense.

''Even 7-Eleven convenience stores are competing with us because they offer various foods,'' he said.

The company is responding to changing customer demands by offering new menu items. ''The best way to build our brand is to differentiate our recipes from those of our competitors. But it is difficult because of copycats,'' Mr Sran said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 19 April 2007 :-

Singapore Thai bride still locked up

Singapore - A man who rescued a Thai woman from a brothel suffered a setback in his hopes to marry quickly when Singapore's High Court ruled that the bride-to-be must serve her one-year jail term, a news report said Thursday.

Amue Athu, 24, a member of a hilltribe from the North of Thailand, could be released in June.

Justice Lee Sieu Kin quashed an order to have Amue deported after serving her sentence for returning to the city-state, giving Singaporean boyfriend Wai Keen Weng, 31, a glimmer of hope. Amue was permanently banned in 2004.

The deportation decision "is best left to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), which is in a position to investigate her plight," The Straits Times quoted Lee as saying on Wednesday.

Amue, who had been brought to Singapore in 2004 to solicit, was deported and forbidden to enter again.

Wai rescued her from a brothel in May 2006 in Hat Yai and persuaded her to return to Singapore. Amue was arrested when she tried to extend her social visit pass in October, a month before they were to marry.

She was jailed after pleading guilty to returning despite being banned.

"I don't know how ICA will decide, and there may be very little chance," The Straits Times quoted Wai as saying. "I've already made Amue hope for so long, but we must continue to hope."

RS Bajwa, Amue's lawyer, argued that she should not have been banned from entering Singapore in 2004 as she was a victim of human smuggling who had been coerced into working in the city-state as a prostitute.

Lee noted that Amue revealed only last year that she had been tricked into prostitution. She originally came from a hill tribe in the northern Thailand province of Chiang Rai.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

. . . . . . .

[KatoeyLover69]

. . . . .

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 19 April 2007 :-

The racist legacy of a name

By Sanitsuda Ekachai
Assistant Editor, Bangkok Post

A rose by any other name is still a rose. So why bother trying to change the name of the country from Thailand back to Siam after all these years? Really, what's in a name? A lot indeed, says historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, who is launching a petition campaign to restore Siam as the name of the country in the new constitution.

And in the case of Thailand, the very name is not only an effort by the fascist Pibul regime to cut the country's ties with the traditional past and to start a modern era under its sole leadership, it also carries a heavy dose of lies and prejudice.

When the late Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram changed Siam to Thailand in 1939, he said it was in accordance with its people's race and the populace's general practice. Those claims were false, argues Charnvit.

In effect, this land has been home to a large number of ethnic groups, not only to the ethnic Thai. It was not true either that P Pibulsonggram's renaming Thailand received the general public's approval, he added. There have been several attempts to change the name back to Siam, such as those during the drafting of the charters in 1949 and 1968.

Shouldn't this acharn find something better to do?

If you are thinking along these lines, let me come to his defence.

Name is a very important part of our identity. It defines how we see ourselves and how we relate to others. Naming is political, and politically dangerous when it makes one particular group more powerful than others.

While the inclusive Siam is more in line with our pluralistic society, the word Thailand gives ownership to only the ethnic Thais while alienating other ethnic groups as ''the outsiders''.

This is why we see the hill peoples in the North and along the western borders as non-Thais, although their ancestors probably lived here long before ours. The same with the ethnic Malay Muslims in the deep South.

Because we see them as outsiders, we feel they are not entitled to have the same rights. We feel it is perfectly alright to treat them as we see fit. We think it is okay to impose the secular culture on the pious Muslim communities, to evict forest dwellers from their ancestral homes, to exploit their natural resources at our whim, to subject migrant workers to back-breaking work with little pay, or to keep their children from receiving an education.

Because we have been brainwashed to believe that we ethnic Thais are sole owners of the land, we feel indifferent to other ethnic groups' sufferings. In the process, we have become tacit accomplices in the exploitation.

Acharn Charnvit's campaign for Siam has not only helped us question the root of our heartlessness, in this day and age when large-scale violence stems mainly from ethnic conflict, his efforts help alert us to the increasing importance of identity politics and how to avoid ethnic violence.

If anything, the racist nationalism from the Pibul regime has a lot to do with the explosion of violence in the deep South. And we cannot hope to undo it except by questioning the country's false identity and rethinking the definition of our nationhood.

For Acharn Charnvit, embracing cultural pluralism is the key. Reverting to Siam or not, discussing the pros and cons of it so we understand who are manipulating our sense of identity and what ugly forces are behind our patriotism, is a start in the right direction.

If his campaign has only received lukewarm reception, it is not his fault. The Pibul regime is long gone, but its racist legacy is deeply rooted in our minds, thanks to the education system and popular media. If we choose the path of prejudice and heartlessness through ethno-centric nationalism, we have but ourselves to blame.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 21 April 2007 :-

It's love-all for happy couple

Starting from their first meeting when she gave him a peck on the cheek on court at the Thailand Open last year, Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova and tennis ace Paradorn Srichaphan have developed a special relationship.

Now they are set to announce their engagement at Bangkok's Sukhothai Hotel at 10.30am on Tuesday.

A source said the couple had already become engaged and wanted to inform the public about their good news.

A good friend of Glebova told The Nation that the Canadian beauty was not only wearing an engagement ring but also confirming to friends that it was an engagement ring.

Rumours about the engagement have circulated around town since Thursday. However, Thailand's top tennis player denied it at first, saying, "I really have no idea about it. From which source did it come?"

But after having a conversation with his father Chanachai yesterday, Paradorn no longer dismissed the news but remained tight-lipped.

"I won't give an interview to any media until Tuesday. You will hear and see things at the hotel," Paradorn said in a telephone interview with The Nation.

Chanachai said he had no intention of making a public announcement about the engagement because he preferred it to be within the two households. He said Glebova's parents would attend the event and refused to disclose details about any dowry.

The very first time the public saw the two together was last year when she kissed Paradorn as a reward for beating Tim Henman in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open, which she attended as Singha's brand ambassador.

They later met more often as the tennis player is also a brand ambassador for the brewery. Since then, they have been seen together more frequently.

In February, they admitted they were "special" friends. The Srichaphans have given the beauty queen the Thai name Piangfah and the nickname Fah.

It is expected that the couple will tie the knot by the end of the year in one of the most celebrated weddings of 2007.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

Miss Universe 2005 :-

http://www.globalbeauties.com/universe/2005/u05.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Universe_2005

[paulsun]

Bro Kateoy69, any news on the Mah Boon Krong (MBK) fire yesterday? My teerak works there now cannot contact her very worried

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Monday 23 April 2007 :-

The Jatukham craze

The faiths and superstitions of many Thais have been a godsend to some in the material world

The phenomenal Jatukham Rammathep amulet has not only brought quick riches to its creators and retailers, but has also been a windfall for its sculptors.

Aey, 32, was a lecturer in sculpture at Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Fine Arts for almost 10 years before good fortune smiled on him and he was hired to design a version of the Jatukham amulet models and statues earlier this year.

"I have been in Nakhon Si Thammarat since 1998. My permanent job here is teaching the art of sculpture at the college for a salary of about Bt12,000 per month," he said.

This month he also picked up almost Bt50,000 extra from designing the talk-of-the-town Jatukham models and statues.

The Jatukham fever in Nakhon Si Thammarat has also created jobs and wealth, not only for him but also those with visual-art skills in his college and in other colleges such as the Nakhon Si Thammarat Arts and Crafts College.

"The demand for the amulets has surpassed even that for mobile phones in these provinces. From my house I can see the vehicles advertising the Jatukham models passing every day," he said.

The first Jatukham model was created in Nakhon Si Thammarat in 1987 by the committee of the City Pillar Shrine of Nakhon Si Thammarat to raise funds to build a city pillar in the town. The Jatukham Rammathep became the most sought-after object in Nakhon Si Thammarat just a decade ago, before the obsession gripped the whole country a few years back.

The price of the original Jatukham models created 20 years ago was only between Bt39 and Bt59 each but they can now fetch from Bt50,000 to Bt1 million.

One Jatukham expert, Anan Sae Tan, said frenzied marketing and the use of the media have contributed a great deal to the booming Jatukham Rammathep trade.

Anan, 46, was appointed by the committee of the City Pillar Shrine of Nakhon Si Thammarat to jointly create the first Jatukham amulet model in 1987.

"The Jatukham was unlikely to gain fast popularity without the marketing campaign. The hot sales of the first models created in Nakhon Si Thammarat inspired investors and other temples to follow suit and create different Jatukham models," he added.

There are now over 100 varieties of Jatukham.

He said that the booming trade is due to people's dire need for something to hold on to in these gloomy economic and political times.

The key to the success of the Jatukham is its appealing design, he added.

"Its design also tended towards the look of jewellery and an object of fashion," he said.

Organisations that create a Jatukham must have a clear objective when doing so in order to ensure its success. One often-cited objective is that the Jatukham be created for social charity or fund-raising.

The other success factor is heavy spending on marketing by Jatukham creators. The total cost of creating one Jatukham line ranges from around Bt100,000 to over Bt10 million, of which most is spent on marketing activities. All kinds of media, from newspapers to television, are used to promote the amulets.

According to Kasikorn Research Centre, the cash flow in the trade of Buddhist amulets and related activities is expected to reach Bt22 billion this year, and the Jatukham is a major contributor to the growth. The popularity of the Jatukham also helps stimulate the growth of many related businesses, such as stainless amulet frames and amulet magazines.

Malee Boonsiripunth, dean of the faculty of journalism and mass communication at Thammasat University, said the Jatukham phenomenon reflected Thai culture and people's belief in the supernatural.

"This is a demonstration of the media's power and its influence in setting a strong agenda for the public. The media over the past months has frequently reported on 'miracles' that these talismans have brought to the owner. This has stirred the public appetite for them," she said.

Malee said the popularity of Jatukham, encouraged by individual producers and distributors, had reinforced interest and the public demand for them, which has led to a huge increase in their prices. Jatukham has become a fashion item demanded by almost everybody.

"The media themselves need to be more concerned about screening the information and presenting it in a more rational way to avoid encouraging superstition," said Malee.

Sorn Chongsricharn, chief executive of advertising agency Y&R, said Jatukham was a good new brand. It has been supported by various marketing strategies and the use of various media channels to make the brand successful and enduring.

"Jatukham has latched on to a good product, that is sacredness. The product has been facilitated with a good marketing mix, with affordable prices and a good distribution network, various types of promotion and clever communications," said Sorn.

He said those who openly flaunt the Jatukham have also played a significant part in building the brand, given that many opinion leaders in society wear and help promote Jatukham amulets.

"What is happening in society is a frenzy. Many communications tools, such as advertising, public relations activities and even customer-relationship-management strategies, have been used by the Jatukham creators and distributors to further spread the frenzy," said Sorn.

"A good product cannot be successful by itself - it always requires good marketing support and brand building," he added.

So will the Jatukham obsession fade soon?

Sorn said virtually every product has a life cycle but the Jatukham brand could last forever.

"From my point of view, the story of Jatukham will not fade away, as anything related to the faith and superstition of people will stay forever. These things will never disappear from this world," he said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Monday 23 April 2007 :-

Patriarch ends role in amulets

His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch will no longer provide materials from his temple, such as ash from incense or powder from bricks, to make the amulets that have sparked a crime wave in Nakhon Si Thammarat, it was announced yesterday.

Jatukham Rammathep amulets, which are believed to have magical powers and cost up to Bt600,000 apiece, can only be made with the permission of the southern province's Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawiharn.

The Supreme Patriarch has provided materials to produce amulets to all temples and individuals that request them but will now stop doing so, the office of his secretary announced yesterday. It did not say why.

However, a source said the announcement was made after revered monk Luang Ta Bua of Wat Pa Ban Tad blessed the Supreme Patriarch to mark his 18th anniversary as head of the country's Buddhists, at Chulalongkorn Hospital yesterday.

Interest in the amulets began in the middle of last year and hit fever pitch this year. Earlier this month a woman was crushed to death when thousands of people rushed into a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat to buy coupons they could exchange for the amulets.

The amulets have become the main target of thieves in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said Colonel Yanaphat Norasing, superintendent of the police in the province's Muang district.

Amulet robberies occur daily, local residents say. Yesterday, 30 amulets worth Bt15,000 were stolen from the residence of Phra Palad Nikom Kamalo, abbot of Wat Nam Song in Muang district.

Recently, a thief broke through the ceiling of an amulet stall in the province and made off with more than Bt200,000 worth of Jatukham Ramathep amulets.

Monks from the province welcomed the Supreme Patriarch's announcement. They said they were concerned the materials he provided were being used to boost the prices of the amulets.

As demand for the amulets sparked surging prices, many Buddhists became concerned that Buddhism was being turned into a commodity. The Supreme Patriarch's announcement was welcomed as it would protect him from being sullied by those seeking to trade on his position for financial gain, said a monk involved in the incantation rites for Jatukham Rammathep amulets.

"Some amulet sellers used photos of the Supreme Patriarch giving them materials [for amulets] to boost sales," he said.

Incantation rites for the amulets can only be performed at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawiharn. Its abbot has said incantations for more than 30 editions of the amulets have been performed at the temple so far this year. Amulet makers from across the country have set up shop at the temple.

Although welcome, the Supreme patriarch's announcement would not lessen demand for Jatukham Rammathep amulets, a monk said.

Amulet makers have been competing to come up with new and strange materials, he said.

On Saturday night, thousands of people gathered at Wat Muang Talord and Wat Ta Chang because they heard rumours that the temples were being used to store the popular Ngern Lai Ma edition of the amulets.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[norice]

Katoylover,

Print something more useful to the readers! Can you please find me a one-bedroom condo or studio with approximately 20,000 - 25,000 B per month. I want to live in Rachada, Dingdang, Sukhumvit or Silom.

I need addresses and cell phone numbers. Since you have lots of time, maybe you could help us in relocating to Bangkok.

Thanks,

Norice