Phra Somdej Wat Rakang (พระสมเด็จวัดระฆัง) is a flat votive tablet showing a seated Buddha under an arch. It was pressed from a lime-based sacred powder by Somdej Phra Phutthachan (Toh Phrommarangsi) at Wat Rakhang Khositaram in Thonburi, Bangkok, in the 19th century [1], [4], [15], [17]. It is one of the Benjapakee, a set of five celebrated Thai amulet types, and Thai writers call it the "Emperor of Amulets" (จักรพรรดิแห่งพระเครื่อง) [1], [12].
Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thai name | พระสมเด็จวัดระฆัง (Phra Somdej Wat Rakhang) | [1] |
| Maker | Somdej Phra Phutthachan (Toh Phrommarangsi), 1788–1872 | [1], [15] |
| Temple | Wat Rakhang Khositaram, Bangkok Noi district, west bank of the Chao Phraya | [16] |
| Period | Square-format tablets usually dated from BE 2409 (1866) to his death in BE 2415 (1872); other accounts start earlier | [1], [7] |
| Material | Shell lime mixed with five sacred powders (themselves mostly chalk), cooked rice, banana and tang-iu oil | [1], [13] |
| Main moulds | Pim Yai (Phra Prathan), Song Chedi, Ket Bua Toom, Than Saem, Prok Pho | [1], [4], [8], [13] |
| Collector set | One of the five Benjapakee amulets | [1], [5], [17] |
| Price level (press, 2026) | Well-preserved genuine pieces described as worth "mid-millions to hundreds of millions of baht" | [5] |
What is Phra Somdej? The name and its meaning
"Somdej" (สมเด็จ) is the prefix used for the highest grade of monastic rank below the Supreme Patriarch, the somdet phra rachakhana [18]. Somdej Phra Phutthachan is one of the titles of that rank [18]. Toh was raised to Somdej Phra Phutthachan in BE 2407 (1864) [7]. A Thairath columnist reasons that "Phra Somdej", in the sense of the square tablets, most likely refers to the pieces he made after that promotion [7].
So "Phra Somdej" can be read as "the Somdej's Buddha image", with "Phra" here meaning a Buddha image or amulet [1]. The term now covers a wider family of Somdej-format tablets, including those linked to Wat Bang Khun Phrom and Wat Ket Chaiyo [2]. When collectors add "Wat Rakang", they mean the pieces made at his own temple [1], [3].
The term 崇迪佛牌 appears in Chinese-language press: a 2012 China News Service report on a new Thai-amulet shop in Taiyuan, Shanxi, lists it among the amulet types the shop stocks [20]. The report does not define the term or tie it to a particular amulet, so this guide does not equate it with Phra Somdej Wat Rakang.
A 2022 article in the Journal of Buddhist Innovation Review frames reverence of Somdej Toh's amulet as a way to practise recollection of the Buddha and the Sangha [19].
Somdej Toh and Wat Rakang in brief
Somdej Toh was born on 17 April 1788 in Tha Ruea, Ayutthaya, and died on 22 June 1872 in Bangkok [15]. He was abbot of Wat Rakhang from 1852 until his death [16]. His life story is covered in our separate biography.
Wat Rakhang itself is older than its famous abbot. It began in the Ayutthaya period as Wat Bangwa Yai, was restored by King Taksin, and was renamed after a bell (rakhang) found on its grounds in the reign of Rama I [16]. It is a second-class royal monastery [16].
Toh is linked with three groups of Somdej tablets: those of Wat Rakang, Wat Bang Khun Phrom and Wat Ket Chaiyo [2]. Wat Ket Chaiyo's tablets were likely made first, around 1866 or shortly before. Wat Rakang's standard moulds came next, before Wat Bang Khun Phrom's (about 1868–1870) [4].
When were Phra Somdej Wat Rakang made?
No reliable text gives exact years for the standard Wat Rakang moulds [4]. Two dating schemes are in circulation.
- The Triyamphawai date. The standard collector's reference by Triyamphawai rests on an interview with Phra Thammathawon. He recalled that Toh began the tablets once Phra Thammathawon had completed two rains-retreats since his own ordination in BE 2407. That gives BE 2409 (1866) [7].
- The three-period scheme. Thai Wikipedia describes an early period (about BE 2355–2393) of wooden moulds and a middle period (about BE 2394–2407) in which royal craftsmen helped carve new moulds. It ends with a late period (about BE 2408–2415) when stone moulds and tang-iu oil as a binder were introduced [1].
Thairath's forensic columnist concludes that the strongest physical and written evidence supports the square tablets as Toh's main work. He finds evidence for other, earlier tablets thin and hard to check [7]. On either scheme, the surviving standard pieces are more than 150 years old [1], [7].
How many were made is also unknown. One analysis suggests it was not a single great batch like the 84,000 pieces of later issues, but still a substantial number [4].
The moulds (pim): Pim Yai, Chedi, Ket Bua Toom, Than Saem and Prok Pho
Collectors sort Wat Rakang tablets by mould, called pim (พิมพ์). Five standard moulds are named in Thai press columns [4], [8], [13].
| Mould (Thai) | Common English name | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| พิมพ์ใหญ่ / พิมพ์พระประธาน | Pim Yai, "large" or "principal Buddha" | The best-known mould; at least six sub-moulds | [1], [13] |
| พิมพ์ทรงเจดีย์ | Pim Song Chedi, "stupa shape" | At least four sub-moulds | [1] |
| พิมพ์เกศบัวตูม | Pim Ket Bua Toom, "lotus-bud topknot" | Five sub-moulds | [1] |
| พิมพ์ฐานแซม | Pim Than Saem, "inserted base" | Six sub-moulds in Thai Wikipedia (a Precious magazine writer groups it into four); slender, shallow figure and a thick, large arch | [1], [8] |
| พิมพ์ปรกโพธิ์ | Pim Prok Pho, "Bodhi-leaf canopy" | Very scarce; not all collectors accept it as standard | [1], [13] |
Thai Wikipedia also lists a sixth type, the Sian Bat Ok Khrut (เศียรบาตรอกครุฑ). Tradition says Toh designed it himself, but that is reported only as hearsay [1].
What the Pim Yai looks like
The Pim Yai shows a seated Buddha on a three-tiered base inside an arched frame [4], [17]. Most Somdej tablets do not model the eyes, nose or mouth [17]. The Wat Rakang frame is large compared with Wat Bang Khun Phrom's smaller frames, which one columnist treats as a point of difference [4].
The famous Pim Yai nicknamed "Ong Lung Phut" (องค์ลุงพุฒ) is praised for a deep, sharp impression and complete lines. It is shown with some flaking on the right side of the arch, which its owner chose to leave untouched [10].
Who carved the moulds?
Early moulds are attributed to local craftsmen. Later moulds were recut by royal craftsmen, among them Luang Wichan Chiannai (หลวงวิจารณ์เจียรนัย), a royal goldsmith [1], [7]. Triyamphawai's text calls the standard Wat Rakang and Wat Bang Khun Phrom moulds the "Luang Wichan Chiannai group." The signature lines on most pieces suggest one carving group made both [3].
Wat Rakang's standard moulds were probably soapstone, while the later Wat Bang Khun Phrom moulds were mostly wood [3]. Phra Somdej Wat Bang Khun Phrom is a separate family [2], though some of the Wat Rakang soapstone moulds were probably also used for Bang Khun Phrom tablets [3].
What are Phra Somdej made of? The pong (sacred powder) material
Phra Somdej Wat Rakang is a powder amulet (phra phong, พระผง), not a fired clay or metal piece [1]. Its body is mostly white lime made from burnt seashells [1], [13]. The five sacred powders mixed into it are themselves made mostly of chalk (ดินสอพอง) [1].
The five sacred powders
The core ingredient is a set of five sacred powders (ผงวิเศษ ๕ ประการ) [1], [13]:
- Pathamang (ผงปถมัง)
- Itthije (ผงอิทธิเจ)
- Maharat (ผงมหาราช)
- Phutthakhun (ผงพุทธคุณ)
- Trinisinghe (ผงตรีนิสิงเห)
Each powder was made by writing yantra in chalk on a slate and rubbing the writing off. The powders were made in sequence, each from the one before [12], [13].
Binders and additions
Binders and fillers named in sources include cooked rice, banana, tang-iu oil (น้ำมันตังอิ๊ว, a thick oil that dries solid) and cane-sugar syrup [1], [13]. Additions include dried flower stamens, burnt palm-leaf scripture ash and incense ash [1], [12]. Red grains in some pieces are thought to be brick or fragments of old Kamphaeng Phet tablets [13].
With age, the body is described as turning whitish-yellow, soft and dense [13]. The Than Saem mould in particular often shows mixed inclusions: white stone grains, red grains, grey lumps and black specks [8]. Post Today notes that the tang-iu oil is said to make the body break easily [12].
Were Phra Somdej Wat Rakang buried in temple caches?
A former abbot of Wat Rakang, Somdej Thiang, described six caches at the temple in a book first published in 1976 (BE 2519). One was in an early Rattanakosin prang, four in corner stupas around the ordination hall, and one behind the temple [2]. He reported the stupa caches empty when he arrived [2].
Most experts believe the Wat Rakang tablets were made for distribution rather than for burial. One reason is that the master reference pieces show no cache residue [2]. The same column adds that whether Toh's tablets were cached is still debated and cannot be settled conclusively [2]. This differs from Wat Bang Khun Phrom, where a crypt was opened in BE 2500 (1957) and its soil was later used in the BE 2509 (1966) commemorative batch [6].
Phra Somdej prices: reported values and famous pieces
In the press, prices for genuine Wat Rakang tablets are given as broad bands or as the stories of single famous pieces. None of the sources below calls any of these figures a record. Only the first row describes an actual transaction; the other rows are writers' valuations, not reported sales.
| Year of report | Kind | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (events before and in 1976, BE 2519) | Reported sale and reported purchase negotiation | "Ong Lung Phut" Pim Yai reported sold earlier for THB 100,000; in 1976 businessman Chaiyathat Techapaibul ("Poi Sia") negotiated to buy it for THB 300,000 | [9] |
| 2018 | Press valuation (no sale cited) | Complete, fine examples said to reach "many tens of millions of baht" | [13] |
| 2026 | Press valuation (no sale cited) | Genuine, well-preserved pieces described as worth "mid-millions to hundreds of millions of baht" | [5] |
| 2026 | Press remark (no sale cited) | Daily News, in a Pim Yai feature, says pieces that conform to the accepted mould, age and materials can be bought and sold for millions to many millions of baht | [11] |
The 1976 Ong Lung Phut deal gave rise to the market legend of the "amulet traded for a Mercedes-Benz". The press repeats that nickname but gives no evidence that a car changed hands [9], [10]. The piece is reported to remain with the same owner, who does not intend to sell it [9].
Asking prices in our own index
ThaiAmuletExchange.com tracks public asking prices. As checked on 21 October 2026, our index held 21 asking prices for Phra Somdej Wat Rakang Pim Yai from three marketplaces: Thaprachan, Ennxo and Kaidee, the latest captured on 3 October 2026 [21]. Prices outside THB 450,000–9,500,000 are excluded from the series [21]. The median was THB 3,000,000. The middle half ran from THB 950,000 to THB 5,000,000, with a range of THB 499,999 to THB 8,500,000 [21].
These are asking prices on public listings, not sales. The index does not verify whether any listed piece is genuine [21]. See the observed listing prices.
How fakes of Phra Somdej are identified
Forgeries of Thai amulets are common, and authentic pieces often need expert authentication [17]. Post Today warns that the very high value of complete Somdej pieces draws many copyists, and advises studying and buying only with expert guidance [13].
What examiners look at
Thairath's "Science of Phra Somdej" column, written by a former forensic police officer, lists the points examiners compare [3], [4], [8]:
- Mould lines. Pieces from originally carved moulds show iron-tool groove marks. Copied moulds lose them [3].
- Background. Master Wat Rakang pieces have a flat background with fine hair-like lines, left by pressing onto flat soapstone [3].
- Frame and edges. Edges should be trimmed close to the mould frame. The Wat Rakang arch is larger than Bang Khun Phrom's [3], [4].
- Texture and inclusions. Needle-like pores, "worm-trail" marks and visible grains of mixed material [3], [4], [8].
- Back and ageing. A naturally aged back with fine cracks, slight edge flaking and reddish oil-like residue [3], [4].
These features are compared against reference pieces and books, and the same columnist warns against claiming authenticity or flaws without scientific backing [2]. The list above describes what examiners look at; it is not enough to authenticate a piece from this article or from photographs. Judging a piece needs comparison with reference pieces under expert guidance [13], [17].
Documents can be forged too
In October 2020 Thailand's Crime Suppression Division arrested three amulet dealers. A buyer who obtained a Somdej tablet at an agreed price of THB 1.8 million had it checked by dealers and institutions, who found it fake [14]. One suspect claimed to be a great-grandson of Luang Wichan Chiannai, the royal mould carver, which investigators found untrue. The case involved forged archival documents, and the National Archives said one of the photographs presented as his showed another person [14].
A National Archives archivist said that sorting the seized antiques into genuine and fake would need scientific testing, which takes time and money. The suspects denied the charges [14].
Later issues in the Somdej format are not antiques
Many later tablets copy the Somdej format. For example, the 12-mould Wat Bang Khun Phrom batch of BE 2509 (1966) ran to 84,000 pieces, with its own collector prices [6]. Such pieces are not Somdej Toh's tablets, so the batch year on a listing matters.
Phra Somdej and the Benjapakee
The Benjapakee (เบญจภาคี, "set of five") groups Phra Somdej Wat Rakang with Phra Nang Phaya, Phra Kamphaeng Sum Kor, Phra Phong Suphan and Phra Rod Lamphun [1]. English Wikipedia describes the full set as valued at over THB 10 million [17]; it gives no year for that figure.
Thai columns do not always show all five together. Post Today once titled a feature on four of them "Jaturaphaki" (set of four) because the pieces a reader shared covered only four of the five [12].