In Thailand, amulets (phra khrueang, พระเครื่อง) are usually worn on a chain around the neck [9], [17]. A Thairath explainer describes the customary arrangement: a Buddha image in the centre, revered monks beside it, and charms such as takrut at the nape, usually in an odd number [1]. The one scholarly account of placement on the body that we found concerns the phallic palad khik, which Bruno Friedman reports is worn at the waist rather than the neck [7]. The sources present all of this as custom and personal practice. One adviser quoted by Komchadluek says there is no fixed rule on how many amulets to wear [2], and Thairath treats taking amulets off to bathe as a matter of respect and of caring for the object [3].
Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thai term | พระเครื่อง (phra khrueang), short for พระเครื่องราง | [9] |
| Usual way to wear | On a chain or cord around the neck | [9], [17] |
| Centre of a necklace | A Buddha image, with monks and royal images to either side | [1] |
| Number worn | Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7) are common; one adviser says any number is acceptable | [1], [2] |
| Palad khik | Worn at the waist and never above it, according to a 1977 scholarly account; the neck is reserved for more revered amulets | [7] |
| Bathing and sleep | Many people take amulets off, for reasons of respect and of physical care | [3], [4] |
| Women and monks | The Tourism Authority of Thailand tells visitors that women do not touch a monk or his robes and can pass items via a man or set them down; Thai Wikipedia describes the monk spreading a cloth to receive a woman's offering | [13], [14] |
| Casing cost (2014) | Plastic frames from about THB 30; silver frames THB 600–700 (Bangkok shop) | [6] |
What a Thai amulet is, and why it is worn on the body
Thai Wikipedia defines phra khrueang as small Buddha images made in remembrance of the Buddha. Some also show monks, bodhisattvas or deities [9]. The full term is พระเครื่องราง ("sacred charm image"), shortened in everyday speech to พระเครื่อง. According to the same article, the word appears in the reign of King Rama IV [9]. Votive tablets of this kind were first made in large numbers to be enshrined inside stupas. From the Ayutthaya period, it says, tablets were also made to carry into war, in place of older charms such as the cloth yantra (ผ้าประเจียด) and the rolled-metal takrut [9].
A 2019 article in the Journal of Buddhist Psychology (Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University) describes how people began carrying tablets recovered from broken stupa deposits. Wearing them at the neck became a way to keep a spiritual anchor (เครื่องยึดเหนี่ยวจิตใจ) close to the body [17]. The author dates the full-scale boom in amulet popularity to the Second World War. The article also points to the size of today's trade, with the old markets at Tha Phra Chan and Chatuchak and at least 20 dedicated amulet magazines [17].
The "rules" below are customs as reported by the sources named, and the sources differ from one another: Thairath describes odd numbers as the common practice, while a Komchadluek adviser says any number will do [1], [2]. In Thai, wearing one is ห้อยพระ ("hanging a phra") [1]; in Chinese the objects are 佛牌 [11].
Where on the body: neck and waist
The clearest scholarly account is Bruno Friedman's 1977 note in the Journal of the Siam Society. Friedman, formerly a UNESCO regional information officer, explains that the palad khik is never worn above the waist because, being sexual in nature, it is considered somewhat base. The neck, a part of the body "commanding a much higher degree of respect", is reserved for more revered amulets [7]. Thairath's necklace order (below) likewise puts charms such as takrut at the lowest position, the nape [1].
English and Chinese Wikipedia both publish lists of amulet "taboos", including one about wearing Buddha images below the waist. Neither list gives a reliable source, and Chinese Wikipedia labels its own list unverified [10], [11]. This guide therefore does not present those items as established customs.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's advice to temple visitors reflects a related sense of height: do not raise yourself higher than a Buddha image, and do not point your feet at one [14].
How to arrange several amulets on one necklace
The Thairath order
A July 2026 Thairath explainer on wearing several amulets reports the following arrangement as the custom in the amulet community [1]:
- Centre: a Buddha image. Its examples are Phra Somdej, Phra Buddha Chinnarat, the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaew Morakot), or the Buddha posture for the wearer's day of birth. The reason it gives is that the Buddha holds the highest rank [1].
- Either side: revered monks or famous abbots, its examples being Luang Pu Thuad and Luang Pho Khun. A royal image, such as King Rama V, is also listed at the sides [1].
- Right before left: sides are counted from the wearer's chest. Under old custom the wearer's right side (the viewer's left) is slightly more important [1].
- Lowest position: the back of the neck. This is where people usually hang a takrut or a tiger amulet such as the Suea of Luang Pho Pan [1].
The same hierarchy as a home altar
Komchadluek's 2022 interview with the adviser Sinsae Pennueng Wongphudorn ranks figures by status and seniority: the Buddha first, then Paccekabuddhas, arahants, noble monks, bodhisattvas and revered teachers, with laypeople such as monarchs last [2]. A 2023 Thairath piece quoting the numerologist Man Karin gives a similar order for a home altar table: the Buddha, then arahants, then noble monks, then deities such as Ganesha and Guanyin, then monarchs and heroes [19].
How many Thai amulets can you wear?
There is no single answer. The two press sources we checked describe different practice.
| View | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Odd numbers | Odd numbers are the common practice. One piece is a central Buddha; three is a Buddha flanked by two monks; five adds two smaller pieces | [1] |
| Making an even count odd | Collectors with two or four pieces often add a takrut or small amulet at the nape so the count becomes odd. For a single piece, Thairath adds a balance reason: it sits at the centre of the chest, so the chain does not tilt | [1] |
| No fixed rule | No rule sets how many amulets to wear; odd or even is a matter of personal comfort | [2] |
On the worry that different amulets should not be worn together, Thairath reports that, in the teaching it attributes to revered monks of the past, they do not conflict, and it puts the wearer's conduct above the number or price of pieces [1].
Charms: palad khik and takrut
Not every Thai amulet carries a Buddha or monk image. Charms (เครื่องรางของขลัง) such as the palad khik and takrut are described separately [7], [8], [18].
- Palad khik (ปลัดขิก). Thai Wikipedia describes a carved phallus, usually of wood but also of stone, brass, copper, coral, horn or ivory [8]. Friedman reports that it is worn at the waist, under the clothes on a string at one side of the body, and that in principle a boy took it off at puberty, though many men kept wearing it [7].
- Takrut (ตะกรุด). Thai Wikipedia, whose takrut article carries a notice that it needs references, describes a thin sheet of metal such as gold, silver or lead, inscribed and rolled into a tube with a cord through the middle [18]. On a neck chain, Thairath places it at the nape [1].
Bathing, sleeping and intimacy: when people take amulets off
Can you shower or bathe wearing a Thai amulet?
Thairath answered this in June 2026 from two angles [3].
- Belief. Some Buddhists and collectors feel that wearing a sacred object while washing is not fitting toward the figures it represents. A folklore specialist quoted in the piece puts intention first: bathing is ordinary hygiene, and if removal is impractical, wearing it is not a serious taboo [3].
- Care. The article recommends removing amulets before every bath. The seals of waterproof frames fail with age, letting water reach powder amulets (พระเนื้อผง), which can crumble or grow mould. Soap can tarnish silver and gold frames, chains can rust, and friction can wear the loop [3].
A Naewna column (15 September 2026, no byline) also lists wearing a Buddha amulet in the bath among 12 "old prohibitions". It presents them as traditional belief, names no source for the list and attaches supernatural consequences to some items, which this guide does not repeat [23].
Can you wear a Thai amulet to sleep?
A September 2026 Thairath piece says there is no fixed rule; taking an amulet off at night is linked to respect toward the object [4]. Its practical reasons are:
- the cord or frame pressing and rubbing on the skin as the sleeper turns, which is more likely with long cords or several pieces;
- repeated pulling wearing out the cord, loop or frame, a bigger risk for old, fragile or valuable pieces;
- sweat staining the amulet or tarnishing some metals [4].
For overnight storage it advises a clean, dry spot such as a box, a shelf, a high place or the home altar, and warns against the floor or the foot of the bed [4].
Intimacy
The same Naewna column lists not having sex while wearing a charm among its 12 "old prohibitions" [23].
Can women wear Thai amulets?
None of the sources we reviewed bars women from wearing amulets. Asked whether women can wear the deity Thao Wessuwan, Thairath answered that they can, though it suggested a small figure [15]. The taboos it listed concerned behaviour, such as theft and drinking, not the wearer's sex [15]. The customs involving women that the sources document concern contact with monks.
- The monastic rule. Saṅghādisesa 2 of the monks' Pāṭimokkha is a rule entailing an initial and subsequent meeting of the Sangha when a monk, "overcome by lust, with altered mind", makes bodily contact with a woman [12].
- Lay etiquette. The Tourism Authority of Thailand advises that women do not touch a monk or his robes. To pass something to a monk, a woman can hand it to a man to give, or put it down for the monk to pick up [14].
- Offering by cloth. Thai Wikipedia's entry on การประเคน (formal presentation to a monk) says that when a woman offers an item, the monk spreads a cloth to receive it. She places the item on the cloth and lets go [13].
Some temples also restrict women from particular spaces. In 2017 Thairath reported that a sign at Wat Sri Suphan in Chiang Mai bars women from the silver ordination hall, under a Lanna custom reported as more than 500 years old [16].
A related belief concerns men. Thai PBS reported in 2025 a belief, tied to "arkhom" (อาคม, incantation-based power), that a man should not walk under a line hung with women's lower garments such as sarongs [20].
Casing an amulet: frames, waterproofing and the trade
Cases (เลี่ยมพระ) matter to collectors, and a July 2026 Thairath guide says the case should suit the material of the amulet [5].
| Case type | Typical material | Suits | Points to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening case (ตลับ) | Gold, silver or stainless steel | Powder, clay and herbal-paste amulets; high-value pieces such as Phra Somdej and Phra Rod | No heat or chemicals touch the amulet and it can be taken out to inspect. A poorly lined rim can chip the edges, so acid-free rubber or foam lining is advised |
| Heat-sealed waterproof plastic (เลี่ยมกันน้ำ / อัดจับขอบ) | Clear plastic sealed with heat and adhesive | Metal coins, Phra Kring, pieces worn every day | Heat and the chemicals in the sealing fluid can reach soft materials, and the plastic can bond to the surface and peel it away later. Not for powder or herbal amulets |
| Gold or silver rim over a plastic seal (จับขอบ) | Plastic seal plus a metal edge | Owners who want the mould face clearly on show | Built on the plastic-seal method |
The guide warns firmly against gluing an amulet into a case. Damage to the surface from glue or peeled plastic can sharply lower its standing among collectors [5].
A report by TCIJ (Thai Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism), dated 11 April 2014 on the page, quoted the owner of a case shop in Bangkok's Tha Phra Chan area. It gave plastic frames from about THB 30, silver frames at THB 600–700, and hand-made gold cases from thousands to tens of thousands of baht (2014 prices) [6]. Plastic casing took 40 minutes to an hour, and a custom gold case 7 to 10 days [6]. A dealer quoted in the report advised checking an amulet for cracks before casing it, and the report recommends buying ready-made gold cases from shops that stamp their trademark on the loop, since unmarked cases fetch less on resale [6].
Small customs around putting an amulet on and taking it off
- Chanting. In the Komchadluek interview, the adviser recommends settling the mind, recalling the Triple Gem and reciting an invitation chant three times before putting an amulet on. After taking it off, he suggests a short chant asking pardon of the Triple Gem for any wrongs done that day [2].
- Choosing by birth day. A 2023 Thairath article pairs Monday with the "forbidding the relatives" (ห้ามญาติ) posture, Tuesday with the reclining posture and Saturday with the Buddha sheltered by the naga (นาคปรก). It calls the pairing a personal belief and adds that a piece the wearer has faith in is also fine if the listed one cannot be found [21].
- A snapped chain or a broken amulet. Thairath reports that, in popular belief, a chain that breaks is read as a warning, especially before a journey. It also notes physical explanations: chains wear out and sweat dulls the surface [22]. In the same belief, it says, a broken amulet is not thrown away; owners place it beneath a large bodhi tree at a temple or keep it in a tray on the home altar [22].
Custom, not rule: reading the advice
Online advice often states these customs as hard rules. The sources are more careful: Thairath's folklore specialist puts intention first [3], the Komchadluek adviser says the number is not fixed [2], Thairath says there is no fixed rule on sleeping with an amulet [4], and Chinese Wikipedia cautions that many taboos circulating among Chinese speakers are unverified misunderstandings [11]. English and Chinese Wikipedia also list amulet taboos, but neither list gives a reliable source, so they are left out here [10], [11].
Where to see pieces like this — Our sister shop, Shogun X Amulets, has a page on Thai amulets: https://shogunxamulets.com/?s=amulet&post_type=product. Disclosure: Shogun X Amulets and ThaiAmuletExchange.com are run by the same group.