Luang Phor Koon Parisuddho (หลวงพ่อคูณ ปริสุทฺโธ, 1923–2015) was a Thai Buddhist monk and the long-time abbot of Wat Ban Rai in Dan Khun Thot district, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) province [1], [2], [17]. He was known for sitting in a squat, for giving large sums to schools, hospitals and universities, and for the many medals and amulets issued in his name [8], [1], [7]. He died on 16 May 2015 and left his body to Khon Kaen University for medical teaching [2], [15].
Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Names | หลวงพ่อคูณ ปริสุทฺโธ; birth name Khun Chatphonkrang (คูณ ฉัตร์พลกรัง); last title Phra Thep Witthayakhom (พระเทพวิทยาคม) | [1], [2], [3] |
| Born | 4 October 1923 (2466 BE), Ban Rai, Kut Phiman subdistrict, Dan Khun Thot, Nakhon Ratchasima | [1], [2] |
| Ordained | 5 May 1944 (2487 BE) at Wat Thanon Hak Yai, monastic name Parisuddho | [1], [2], [4] |
| Temple | Wat Ban Rai; ordination hall begun 1953 (2496 BE) | [1], [4] |
| Highest rank | Phra Thep Witthayakhom, conferred 12 August 2004 | [1], [2] |
| Died | 16 May 2015, 11:45, Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital | [2], [1] |
| Body | Donated by will (25 June 2000) to Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Medicine | [2], [1] |
| Cremation | 29 January 2019, temporary crematorium at Wat Nong Waeng / Phutthamonthon Isan, Khon Kaen | [9], [11] |
Who was Luang Phor Koon? Names and spellings
Luang Phor Koon is the popular name of a monk whose monastic name was Parisuddho (ปริสุทฺโธ) [1]. His birth name was Khun Chatphonkrang, and his final royal title was Phra Thep Witthayakhom, written Phra Devavidhyāgama in one English rendering [1], [3]. Thai press also called him the "god of Dan Khun Thot" (เทพเจ้าแห่งด่านขุนทด) [2].
English spellings vary because Thai has no single romanisation: Luang Phor Koon, Luang Por Khun, Luang Pho Khun and Luang Phor Khoon all refer to him [3], [8], [14]. Collectors often shorten it to "LP Koon".
Early life in Dan Khun Thot, Korat
He was born on Thursday 4 October 1923 (2466 BE) in Ban Rai, Moo 6, Kut Phiman subdistrict, Dan Khun Thot district, Nakhon Ratchasima [1], [2]. One amulet columnist gives 14 October and notes that other sources say 4 October [4]. Nakhon Ratchasima is often called Korat or Khorat and lies on the north-eastern plateau, the region known as Isan [17].
His parents, Boon and Thong Khao, were farmers, and he was the eldest of three children, with two younger sisters [1], [2], [3]. Both parents died while the children were young, and an aunt raised them [1], [2]. From about age six or seven he studied Thai and Khmer script with local monks, Ajarn Chuem, Ajarn Chai and Ajarn Lee, who also taught him incantations [1], [4].
Ordination, teachers and forest wandering
He was ordained at 21 on 5 May 1944 (2487 BE) at Wat Thanon Hak Yai in Kut Phiman, receiving the name Parisuddho [2], [4]. The Posttoday column names his preceptor as Phra Khru Wichan Dikit and notes that some books give the year as 2486 BE [4].
He trained under Luang Phor Daeng of Wat Ban Nong Pho, who then took him to study with Luang Phor Khong Phutthasaro [1], [2], [4]. On Luang Phor Khong's advice he wandered as a forest (dhutanga) monk, first in Nakhon Ratchasima and then in Laos and Cambodia [1], [2]. He came back through Surin to his home village of Ban Rai [1].
Building Wat Ban Rai
Back in Ban Rai, he began building the temple with villagers, starting with the ordination hall (ubosot) in 1953 (2496 BE) [1], [4]. Monks' quarters, a sermon hall, a water pond and a school followed [1], [4].
Thai Wikipedia, citing Thai newspapers of 1972, records an April 1972 incident in which he helped persuade two armed robbers holding hostages to give themselves up [1]. According to that account, one surrendered, while the second ran off and pulled the trigger on the monk, the gun did not fire, and Luang Phor Koon pinned him to the ground until the kamnan and villagers arrived to tie him up [1].
Why did Luang Phor Koon sit squatting?
The squat is the posture people remember. The Nation described him as known for sitting in a squatting position, with his bottom never really touching the seat [8]. No source we found gives his own explanation for the habit, so this entry does not offer one.
The posture became his visual signature. For the 2019 cremation, a life-size statue of him squatting was placed in front of the crematorium, modelled on the squatting statue already at Wat Ban Rai [12]. Sculptor Kittichai Triratwitcha, a special lecturer at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, made it with the temple's agreement [12].
The head-tapping stick
He was also known for tapping visitors' heads with a cane or stick when they asked for a blessing [8]. A former disciple, Phra Khru Sathitworaphon of Wat Sawang Arom in Samut Prakan, followed him from late 1992, received one of these wooden sticks from him in 1993 (2536 BE) around the time of the Korat building collapse, and later gave it to Khon Kaen University for its memorial to the monk [13].
Ranks and the royal connection
He received three royal ecclesiastical titles on the meditation (vipassana) track [1]:
| Date | Rank | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 12 August 1992 | Phra Rachakhana, ordinary grade | Phra Yan Witthayakhom Thera (พระญาณวิทยาคมเถร) |
| 10 June 1996 | Phra Rachakhana, Rat grade | Phra Ratcha Witthayakhom (พระราชวิทยาคม) |
| 12 August 2004 | Phra Rachakhana, Thep grade | Phra Thep Witthayakhom (พระเทพวิทยาคม) |
Thai Wikipedia cites the Royal Gazette for each grant [1], and Thairath confirms the 2004 title [2]. The Nation lists him among the monks visited by King Bhumibol Adulyadej [8]. An academic study of Wat Ban Rai's main hall notes that its exhibits honour King Rama IX because of the king's respect for the monk [16].
Luang Phor Koon's donations: schools, colleges and hospitals
Money given to him did not stay at Wat Ban Rai. The Nation reports that temple amulet income funded hospitals, schools and Khon Kaen University, with total estimates running into billions of baht, though figures vary [8]. Documented projects include:
- Luang Phor Koon Parisuddho Technical College. Proposed by him on 19 October 1993 and established by the Ministry of Education on 12 May 1994 [1]. He paid for its buildings, at least 400 million baht, finished in academic year 1997 [1]. On 14 February 2001 he gave a further 50 million baht for development and a foundation [1].
- Luang Phor Koon Parisuddho Secondary School. Founded on 12 August 1993, the day he received his first royal title, first as a branch of Dan Khun Thot secondary school [1]. He funded a building, teachers' housing and utilities worth about 11 million baht or more [1].
- Universities and others. He paid for a teaching building at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University's Nakhon Ratchasima campus and gave buses to its Surin campus [1]. Thai Wikipedia also lists buildings and equipment for underfunded hospitals, without amounts [1].
Luang Phor Koon's fame in the 1990s
Australian National University scholar Peter A. Jackson studied his rise in a 1999 paper in South East Asia Research [14]. Jackson writes that in the mid-1990s this elderly abbot of a remote rural temple became Thailand's most prominent religious figure [14]. He describes a national cult around the monk centred on wealth and power, and links it to the economic boom that ended in July 1997 [14].
That peak is the background to the large number of 1993–1997 issues collectors know today. Jackson analyses the media, economic and political forces behind the fame rather than any claimed powers [14].
Luang Phor Koon amulets: the main issues
Thairath notes that amulets in his name have been made since 2509 BE (1966) [7]. Types include medals in many designs, cast likeness statues, Phra Kring, Phra Chai Wat, Phra Yot Thong and gold takrut [7]. To convert Buddhist Era years to Common Era, subtract 543 [19].
| Issue (BE / CE) | Form | What the press reports | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First medal, 2512 / 1969 | Medal | Rare; quoted "in the millions" of baht in 2015 | [5] |
| 2517 / 1974 | Medal | Made to raise funds for Wat Sa Kaeo, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima; 100,000 made | [5], [6] |
| Sang Barami, 2519 / 1976 | Medal | Called his most popular medal in 2015 | [5], [6] |
| Thanakhan Sri Nakhon, 2521 / 1978 | Half-body medal | Tens of thousands of baht in 2015 | [5] |
| Charoen Phon Bon, 2536 / 1993 | Half-body medal | About 100,000–300,000 baht in 2015 | [5] |
| Charoen Phon Lang, 2536 / 1993 | Oval medal | About 40,000–100,000 baht in 2015 | [5], [4] |
| Sema Wat Prok, 2536 / 1993 | Sema-shaped medal | Tens of thousands of baht in 2015 | [5] |
| Nang Phan Chana Man, 2536 / 1993 | Medal | Tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht in 2015 | [5] |
| Ayu Yuen and Huang Chueam Wat Prok, 2553 / 2010 | Medals | Tens of thousands; gold Huang Chueam in the hundreds of thousands, 2015 | [5] |
All prices above are Thai baht as stated in Posttoday on 17 May 2015, the day after his death [5]. Sources differ on the 2517 project: Posttoday says monks' quarters, while Matichon says an ordination hall [5], [6].
The 2519 Sang Barami medal
The 2519 BE (1976) Sang Barami (สร้างบารมี) medal is the issue most often called his top piece [5]. In 2019 its maker, Sanuan Chinkosi, then 73 and president of a Korat amulet club, said it raised funds for the ordination hall of Wat Non Mueang in Kham Sakaesaeng district [6].
By his account, 9 gold, 54 silver, 499 nawaloha (nine-metal alloy) and 10,000 oxidised copper medals were made [6]. Many collectors say 19 gold pieces exist, which he disputes [6]. Matichon reported a quoted price of up to 30 million baht for a gold example in January 2019; Posttoday had reported up to 10 million baht in 2015 [6], [5]. A collector told Matichon that prices for the 2512, 2517 and 2519 medals had recently fallen about 30% [6].
The 2536 (1993) Luang Phor Koon amulets
2536 BE is 1993 CE [19]. Posttoday's 2015 list names four medals from that year: Charoen Phon Bon (half-body), Charoen Phon Lang, Sema Wat Prok series 1 and Nang Phan Chana Man [5]. The year also saw two education projects: the secondary school (August 1993) and the technical college proposal (October 1993) [1].
Charoen Phon Lang
Charoen Phon Lang (เจริญพรล่าง) is an egg-shaped medal with the word เจริญพร ("blessings") below the portrait [4]. It commemorated the library celebration at Wat Chaeng Nok, Nakhon Ratchasima, on 5 December 2536 BE [4]. Posttoday's amulet columnist records three gold runs [4]:
- 9 pieces, committee edition (kammakan) with unclipped rim, nine
๙code stamps and plain back; - 19 pieces, committee edition with unclipped rim, nine
๙code stamps and yantra back; - 99 pieces with clipped rim and a running serial number.
He wrote in 2016 that the yantra-back gold piece reached "several million" baht [4]. Our own observed listing prices for LP Koon BE 2536 show the source and capture date for each figure.
Is there a Luang Phor Koon pidta?
A phra pidta is a small Buddha image or amulet showing a figure covering its face with its hands [18]. Although pidta-form pieces are sold in the market under his name, the Thairath and Posttoday round-ups of his main issues do not list a pidta among them [7], [5].
How collectors tell Luang Phor Koon issues apart
The press sources point to features that separate one run from another, not to a full authentication method:
- Year and occasion. Many issues are tied to a temple project and date, such as Wat Chaeng Nok's library in December 1993 [4].
- Metal. Gold, silver, nawaloha and copper versions of one design differ widely in number and price [6], [5].
- Rim and stamps. Clipped or unclipped rims, code stamps and running numbers mark separate runs [4]. The 2519 maker says his gold pieces carry no code number, which bears on disputed examples [6].
- Front and back. Plain or yantra backs, and half-body or full figures, define named moulds [4], [5].
High prices draw copies, so compare any piece with documented examples and records of the issuing temple.
How did Luang Phor Koon die?
On the morning of Friday 15 May 2015 he was found unconscious at Wat Ban Rai at about 05:45 and taken to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital [1], [2]. Doctors said air had leaked into his lungs (pneumothorax), stopping his breathing and heart, and resuscitation took about an hour [1], [2]. He died at 11:45 on 16 May 2015 [2].
He was 91 by Western counting; Thairath and The Nation gave 92 [1], [2], [8]. Thai Wikipedia counts 71 rains (years as a monk), while The Nation says 70 years in the robe [1], [8].
His will and the body donation
His will, dated 25 June 2000, left his body to Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Medicine within 24 hours of death, for anatomy study [2], [1]. He asked for a seven-day chanting rite, a simple funeral without royal honours, cremation at Wat Nong Waeng in Khon Kaen, and his ashes scattered in the Mekong at Nong Khai [2]. Thairath reported a plan of about a year of preservation, two academic years of teaching, then cremation [2].
Royal honours were still granted: Thai Wikipedia records royal bathing water, wreaths and a royal urn [1]. A 2024 letter in Medical Teacher found that body-donor registrations at Khon Kaen University rose about 1.5-fold in the three years after his death, and up to two-fold at six medical schools [15].
Luang Phor Koon's funeral and cremation in 2019
The cremation was held on 29 January 2019 at a temporary crematorium at Wat Nong Waeng, Phutthamonthon Isan, Khon Kaen [9]. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided, the procession left Khon Kaen University's Kanchanaphisek convention centre, and the fire was lit at 22:15 [9], [10]. The rites included an Isan ceremony with an arrow shot at a Nok Hatsadiling (mythical bird) pyre, and 99 fine-arts students danced [9].
Khon Kaen University's medical dean said the total budget was 83 million baht, including three years of site preparation; 50 million baht left from the 2015 funeral donations went toward it, and the faculty advanced the balance against new public donations [11]. Any money left over was to go to the care of sick monks, under the will [11]. The ashes were to go by Royal Thai Navy boat to Nong Khai, to be scattered near the mid-river stupa in the Mekong [10].
Wat Ban Rai today: the elephant hall
At Wat Ban Rai, the Wihan Thep Witthayakhom (วิหารเทพวิทยาคม) was built as a memorial to Luang Phor Koon, completed in 2555 BE (2012), and now serves as a Buddhist museum [16]. Its design takes the form of the head of the elephant Erawan, with the body of the hall as the elephant's belly [16]. A Buddha image and a statue of the monk standing with a staff are placed on the top floor [16].