Luang Phor Pae (Phra Thammamuni, monastic name Khemangkaro; 1905-1999, often listed in English references as 1904-1999 due to pre-1941 Thai calendar reckoning) was the long-serving abbot of Wat Phikul Thong in Tha Chang District, Sing Buri Province, and one of central Thailand's foremost twentieth-century kheji achan (monastic masters) and civic builders [1][3]. Appointed abbot of a rural riverside monastery in 1931 at the age of twenty-six, he governed Wat Phikul Thong for sixty-eight years, transforming it into a third-class royal monastery (Phra Aram Luang) housing Thailand's largest blessing-posture Buddha image, Phra Phuttha Suwannamongkhon Mahamuni [1][2][4]. Alongside public works that funded hospitals, bridges, and schools across Sing Buri, each Luang Phor Pae amulet issue, from his 1951 Phra Somdej Thong Phosom castings and 1959 first-issue medallion to his celebrated Phra Somdej Pae Phan (1967) and M16 medallion (1970), became a benchmark in Thai Buddhist numismatics [3][7][8][12][15].
Early life and family background in Sing Buri
The future Luang Phor Pae was born Pae Chaimankhong on Monday, 1 January 2448 BE (1905 CE in the modern Gregorian calendar), in the Year of the Dragon, at Ban Suan Kluai in Tambon Thon Samo (now Tambon Phikul Thong), Tha Chang District, Sing Buri Province [1][3]. Because Thailand observed 1 April as New Year's Day prior to 1941, a January birth date was historically counted with the preceding Buddhist Era year (2447 BE / 1904 CE), which explains why English amulet references commonly list 1904-1999 while official Thai biographies record 1 January 2448 BE (1905 CE) [1][3].
The youngest of four children of Nai Thian and Nang Nai Chaimankhong, he lost his mother at eight months of age and was adopted by his maternal uncle and aunt, Nai Bun and Nang Phian Khamwibun, near Wat Mai (later renamed Wat Phikul Thong) [1][3][15]. At age eleven, he studied Thai and Khmer (Khom) literacy under Phra Athikan Phan Chanthasaro at Wat Phikul Thong [1][3]. At fourteen (2461 BE / 1918 CE), he moved to Bangkok to study under Phra Ajahn Som at Wat Chana Songkhram, and in 2462 BE (1919 CE) came under the patronage of Phra Khru Sitthidet of Wat Chana Songkhram and Somdet Phra Wanarat (Heng Khemachari) of Wat Mahathat [1][3][15].
Novicehood, higher ordination, and Pali scholarship
On 15 April 2463 BE (1920 CE), at age sixteen, he was ordained as a novice (samanera) at Wat Phikul Thong under preceptor Phra Athikan Phan Chanthasaro [1][3]. Studying in Bangkok at Wat Chana Songkhram and Wat Mahathat under Somdet Phra Wanarat (Heng Khemachari), he passed Nak Tham Tri in 2466 BE (1923 CE), earned Parian Tham 3 Prayok as a novice in 2468 BE (1925 CE), and completed Nak Tham Tho in 2469 BE (1926 CE) [1][3].
At age twenty-one, he returned to Wat Phikul Thong for higher ordination on 21 April 2469 BE (1926 CE), with Phra Mongkhon Thipmuni (Mui Pandito) of Wat Chakkrawat Ratchawat as preceptor (Upajjhaya), Phra Khru Sitthidet of Wat Chana Songkhram as first ordination teacher, and Chao Athikan On of Wat Champa Thong as second ordination teacher [1][3]. Given the monastic title Khemangkaro ("One Who Creates Peace and Security"), he passed Parian Tham 4 Prayok in 2470 BE (1927 CE) before severe chronic eye inflammation led doctors at Chulalongkorn Hospital to warn that further nocturnal reading would cause permanent blindness [1][3][15].
Meditation and esoteric lineage
Turning to vipassana meditation and phutthakhom (Buddhist esoteric science), Phra Maha Pae taught Dhamma and Pali at Wat Chana Songkhram and Watsuthiwararam (2471-2472 BE) while training in meditation under Phra Khru Phawana at Wat Pho [1][3][15]. His lineage combined four main influences:
- Somdet Phra Wanarat (Heng Khemachari) of Wat Mahathat: Who commissioned him to return to Sing Buri to restore rural monasteries [1][15].
- Phra Khru Wiriya Sophit (Luang Phor Sri Kesaroh) of Wat Phra Prang, Sing Buri: Who taught him sacred water (nam mon) consecration, yantra inscription, and metal-ring casting [1][15].
- Phra Khru Baidika Kliang of Wat Suthat, Bangkok: Who taught him liturgical chanting and the Wat Suthat metal-casting tradition [1].
- Devotional Alignment with Somdej Phra Buddhacarya (Toh Brahmarangsi) of Wat Rakhang: As reported by Komchadluek, after a prized Wat Rakhang Phra Somdej was stolen from him on a bus, Luang Phor Pae had a meditative vision of Somdej Toh reminding him not to cling to material objects while leaving the mind uncultivated [8]. He thereafter adopted the Chinabanchorn liturgy and the five sacred powders (phong phutthakhun thang ha) of Somdej Toh for his own powder amulets [8][10].
Abbotship and transformation of Wat Phikul Thong
In 2474 BE (1931 CE), at age twenty-six, Phra Maha Pae became abbot of Wat Phikul Thong on the eastern bank of the Noi River opposite Wat Phikul Thong Nok [1][2][3]. Founded in 2434 BE (1891 CE) as Wat Suan Luang before taking the name Wat Phikul Thong, the temple received its first royal boundary charter (wisungkhamasima) in 2442 BE (1899 CE) [2].
Finding its wooden buildings in disrepair in 1931, Luang Phor Pae began his first major reconstruction in 2482 BE (1939 CE) with the support of Luang Phor Sri of Wat Phra Prang, casting early metal rings and alloy amulets to finance a new ordination hall (ubosot) [1][14][15]. Over six decades, he added a teaching hall, Pali and Dhamma schools, monk residences, the Khlong Chao Chet garden, and the Luang Phor Pae Museum [2][3][14]. On 24 June 2536 BE (1993 CE), Wat Phikul Thong was elevated to a third-class ordinary royal monastery (Phra Aram Luang Chan Tri, Saman), widely known as Wat Luang Phor Pae [2][4][5].
The giant blessing Buddha: Phra Phuttha Suwannamongkhon Mahamuni
The architectural focal point of Wat Phikul Thong is Phra Phuttha Suwannamongkhon Mahamuni (popularly called Luang Phor Yai), documented by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports as Thailand's largest seated Buddha image in the blessing posture (Pang Prathan Phon) [2][4][5][14].
According to Banmuang and Komchadluek, Luang Phor Pae laid the foundation stone on Saturday, 2 March 2517 BE (1974 CE) [6][9]. Although initial plans called for a lap width of 9 wah 9 inches [6][9], the completed reinforced-concrete statue measures 11 wah 2 sok 7 inches (approximately 23.18 meters) across the lap and rises over 21 wah (approximately 42 meters) high [2][4][14]. Clad in golden glass mosaic tiles imported from Italy and built at a cost of roughly 20 million baht, the monument received its official name from King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) [2][4][5][14]. An oversized statue of Phra Sangkachai and the temple museum flank the surrounding plaza [2].
Ecclesiastical ranks, public works, and passing
Rising through the Sangha administration from preceptor (Phra Upajjhaya, 2486 BE) and Tha Chang district chief (2509 BE) to Ecclesiastical Governor of Sing Buri Province in 2525 BE (1982 CE), Luang Phor Pae received five successive royal monastic titles [1][3]:
- 2484 BE (1941 CE): Phra Khru Sri Phromsophit [1][3].
- 2521 BE (1978 CE): Phra Sunthon Thammaphani (Chan Saman) [1][3].
- 2530 BE (1987 CE): Phra Ratchasinghakhanachan (Chan Ratcha) [1][3].
- 2535 BE (1992 CE): Phra Thep Singhaburachan (Chan Thep) [1][3].
- 10 June 2539 BE (1996 CE): Phra Thammamuni (Chan Tham, awarded for King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Golden Jubilee) [1][3].
In 2539 BE (1996 CE), Thepsatri Rajabhat Institute (now Thepsatri Rajabhat University) awarded him an Honorary Bachelor of Education degree in Educational Administration [1][3]. University archives record that he financed Tha Chang Hospital (over 11.7 million baht), the Phikul Thong clinic, dental suites at Chulalongkorn Hospital, bridges over the Chao Phraya River at In Buri and the Noi River at Tha Chang, local schools, and three major medical buildings at Sing Buri Hospital: the Luang Phor Pae 80 Years Building (2528 BE, over 21.2 million baht), the X-Ray and Luang Phor Pae 86 Years Building (2532 BE), and the nine-story Luang Phor Pae 90 Years Building (begun 2534 BE, over 120 million baht) [3][14].
Luang Phor Pae died on Wednesday, 10 February 2542 BE (1999 CE) at 12:36 p.m. at Sing Buri Hospital, aged ninety-four years and seventy-three vassa [1][3][14]. He was succeeded as abbot in 2543 BE (2000 CE) by his disciple Phra Ratchasuwatthanaphon (Luang Phor Prachuap Suthiro, 1961-2026), whom he had ordained in 2518 and 2524 BE [13].
Major Luang Phor Pae amulet series as reported in Thai sources
From 2482 BE (1939 CE) until the late 1990s, Luang Phor Pae consecrated hundreds of amulet editions that gained followers across Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan [8][12][15]. Specialist columns in Komchadluek, Banmuang, Daily News, Thairath, and TNews highlight seven major issues when evaluating a Luang Phor Pae amulet:
| Series / Model | Year (BE / CE) | Primary Material | Key Identifying Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Metal Rings & Phra Somdej Thong Phosom | 2482 & 2494 BE (1939 & 1951 CE) | Cast mixed brass (thong phosom) | Early rings blessed with LP Sri (2482 BE); first alloy Phra Somdej cast in 2494 BE in rectangular and triangular molds [6][15]. |
| Rian Run Raek (First-Issue Medallion) | 2502 BE (1959 CE) | Struck copper (thong daeng) | ~4,000 coins requested by LP Chan of Wat Wihan Khao; frontal portrait and Yant Phut Son reverse; 5 die varieties [7]. |
| Phra Somdej Pae Phan (Pae 1,000) | 2510 BE (1967 CE) | Five sacred powders (phong phutthakhun) | Three-tiered Phra Somdej made from five canonical powders, gold leaf, hair, and temple flowers [8][10]. |
| Phra Somdej Pae Song Phan & Sam Phan | 2511-2512 BE (1968-1969 CE) | Sacred powder, pollen, bailan ash | Follow-up issues pressed in yellow pollen, white powder, and black burnt palm-leaf (bailan) paste [6][8][10]. |
| Phra Somdej Prok Pho Lang Yant Trinisinghe | 2512 BE (1969 CE) | Powders of LP Pae & LP Toh | Pressed by LP Chan combining sacred powders of LP Pae and Luang Pu Toh of Wat Pradu Chimphli, co-blessed by both [11]. |
| Rian Traimas Run 2 ("M16 Medallion") | 2513 BE (1970 CE) | Silver, nawak, and copper | Second Traimas portrait coin; nicknamed the M16 medallion after an account involving Lopburi paratroopers [15]. |
| Phra Phuttharup Pang Prathan Phon (12-inch) | 2518 BE (1975 CE) | Mixed bronze | 2,519 altar statues sculpted by Somchai Hatthakitkoson and cast on 19 Feb 2518 BE to fund the giant Buddha statue [6][9]. |
1. Early metal rings (2482 BE) and Phra Somdej Thong Phosom (2494 BE)
To fund the 2482 BE (1939 CE) ordination hall at Wat Phikul Thong, Luang Phor Pae cast early metal rings and alloy images using the methods of Luang Phor Sri of Wat Phra Prang [15]. When brought to Wat Phra Prang for inspection, Luang Phor Sri declared that Luang Phor Pae's consecration was already complete and needed no repetition, though he blessed them again and encouraged casting additional rings for temple donors [15]. In 2494 BE (1951 CE), Luang Phor Pae cast his first formal Phra Somdej Thong Phosom edition in mixed brass alloy in rectangular and triangular molds, prized for their golden-yellow patina [6].
2. First-issue portrait medallion: Rian Run Raek (2502 BE / 1959 CE)
Luang Phor Pae's first portrait medallion was struck in 2502 BE (1959 CE) for his fifty-fourth birthday at the request of his disciple Phra Khru Adul Wihantham (Luang Phor Chan) of Wat Wihan Khao, in a single material of roughly 4,000 copper coins with an integral loop [7]. The obverse shows his half-length portrait, while the reverse bears his signature concentric Yant Phut Son diagram across five documented die varieties [7]. Consecrated by Luang Phor Suang of Wat Chi Pakhao, Luang Phor Sawan of Wat Thep Mongkhon, and Luang Phor Pae, the coin is also nicknamed the "Khmer Rouge Medallion" (Rian Run Khmer Daeng) after a 1972 account of a Cambodian soldier who survived a wartime firing squad in Battambang while wearing the medallion [7].
3. Phra Somdej Pae Phan, Song Phan, Sam Phan (2510-2512 BE), and Prok Pho (2512 BE)
Over his career, Luang Phor Pae created more than 300 Phra Somdej models in tribute to Somdej Toh, led by Pae Phan (2510 BE / 1967 CE), Pae Song Phan (2511 BE / 1968 CE), and Pae Sam Phan (2512 BE / 1969 CE) [6][8][10]. Prepared while chanting the Chinabanchorn katha, their paste combined the five canonical powders (Itthije, Patamang, Maharaj, Trinisinghe, and Phutthakhun) with 108 pollens, Indian pilgrimage soil, gold leaf, altar flowers, hair clippings, or burnt palm-leaf (bailan) ash [8][10]. Komchadluek notes that top examples of Pae Phan (2510 BE) trade above 100,000 baht [6][8]. In 2512 BE (1969 CE), Luang Phor Chan also pressed the first-issue Phra Somdej Prok Pho Lang Yant Trinisinghe using sacred powders donated by both Luang Phor Pae and Luang Pu Toh of Wat Pradu Chimphli, who co-consecrated the batch at Wat Phikul Thong [11].
4. The 2513 BE "M16 Medallion", 2518 BE statues, and authentication
His second Traimas medallion of 2513 BE (1970 CE), struck in silver, nawak, and copper, is universally known as the Rian M16 after a folklore account reported by TNews in which paratroopers from Pah Wai camp in Lopburi landed a helicopter at Wat Phikul Thong and a skeptical soldier tested one of the coins with an M16 rifle [15]. On 19 February 2518 BE (1975 CE), to finance the giant outdoor Buddha statue, Luang Phor Pae cast 2,519 twelve-inch Phra Phuttharup Pang Prathan Phon bronze statues sculpted by Somchai Hatthakitkoson alongside Phra Sangkachai and portrait images [6][9]. In contemporary Thai press, Daily News reported on 28 July 2025 that a 38-year-old construction worker survived a pickup truck rollover on Highway 317 in Makham District, Chanthaburi Province, and credited the Phra Pidta Luang Phor Pae amulet he wore [12].
When authenticating a Luang Phor Pae amulet, specialists examine the natural density of the five sacred powders, embedded gold leaf, and hair strands in the 2510-2512 BE Pae Phan series, verify the five die varieties and Yant Phut Son engraving on the 2502 BE and 2513 BE coins, and distinguish original issues from later commemorative re-issues (run yon yuk) [6][7][8][10][15].