Lersi Thom

Among Lersi Thom’s creations, one of the most distinctive is the Somdej amulet made primarily from parad, with a small but powerful piece of top-grade lek lai embedded at the back. The design is deliberate. Parad, which forms 99% of the body, serves as a vessel to absorb negativity and transform it into good fortune.

The lek lai, though present only in a small amount, provides the essential boost of baramee—spiritual authority and momentum—ensuring that opportunities align and circumstances fall into place for the wearer. This combination of parad’s purifying quality with lek lai’s commanding presence reflects both practicality and deep spiritual intention in his work.

I only brought 1 piece back due to the relatively high cost of the items.

On my recent trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat, I passed by the samnak of an elder hermit, Lersi Thom. At his age, most would have returned to their hometowns to retire quietly, but his life reflects a different path. Once a wandering hermit, he had spent his younger years traveling on foot across forests and caves, reaching even into neighboring Myanmar in pursuit of practice and solitude.

Now, in his later years, he has settled back in his birthplace, where his sister helps with the simple but essential duties of maintaining the samnak—feeding the animals, tending the grounds, and arranging the visits of disciples who come for blessings, holy water baths, and guidance in spiritual matters.

The setting of the samnak itself was striking. Just thirty meters in front stood a cave-mountain, a reminder of the caves where monks and ascetics seek silence and spiritual depth. Behind flowed a river, carrying the resonance of cleansing, transformation, and ritual renewal. Together, cave and river framed the samnak in an environment rich with natural power, an ideal landscape for spiritual work.

Lersi Thom has become known across Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, both for his presence and for his rare creations. His amulets, crafted from lek lai and complex mixtures of parad (solidified mercury), are sought after not only for their potency but for the authenticity of their preparation.

The process is demanding, the costs high, and the materials all personally sourced by him. I saw herbs drying in the sun and raw minerals arranged carefully, evidence of the care and effort invested. Even my driver took some herbs home for his family, a small reflection of how his work touched both locals and visitors.

The samnak itself was beautiful, much of it built from donations—the very land gifted by the surrounding community so that he could live close to them and continue his service. In this place, where mountain cave and river converge, Lersi Thom’s life of wandering and discipline now flows into one of teaching, blessing, and quiet service, sustained by the devotion of those who continue to seek him out.