Por Than Klai Wat Suan Khan

Loop Om Chanmak (Betel Nut) B.E. 2500–2505 (1957–1962) batch

• Master / Lineage: Por Than Klai Wacha Sit (Phra Khru Phisit Atthakan, Klai Chanthasuwanno)
• Temple: Wat Suan Khan, Nakhon Si Thammarat
• Year: B.E. 2500–2505 (1957–1962)
• Materials: Chanmak – Por Than Klai's own chewed betel nut, pure and unmixed
• Size: 1cm
• Casing: Original clear casing, decades old

Personal Notes

This Loop Om came to me in a way I will never forget.

My driver is a very old man. Long ago, he received this Loop Om directly from Por Than Klai himself. From the master's hand to his.

He kept it for decades. Then he passed it to me. It was the very first time we had met.

Just like my Kruba Duang Dee Loop Om, I will not keep the money from this one. All proceeds from this sale will go to a charity of my choice.

It feels right. Por Than Klai spent his whole life giving. Roads. Bridges. Schools. Now this piece can give once more.

Summary

This is a Loop Om from Por Than Klai Wacha Sit of Wat Suan Khan, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

It is formed from pure Chanmak, betel nut chewed by the master himself, with nothing else added. Gold leaf covers its dark surface, laid on by devotees as an act of respect.

Por Than Klai is one of the most revered monks the South has ever known. People called him the "Golden Mouth Monk". Whatever he said came true.

His Chanmak was treasured even in his lifetime. Old devotees say that if you have his betel nut, you need nothing else.

Historical Background of Por Than Klai

The boy. Klai Sinil was born in B.E. 2419 (1876) at Ban Khok Thue, Chang Klang, Nakhon Si Thammarat. His father taught him to read Thai and ancient Khom script at home. As a young man, he even learned Nang Talung shadow puppetry. He was handsome, with a beautiful voice. Audiences loved him.

The leg. At about fifteen, he went to help relatives clear forest in Krabi. A felled tree crashed onto his left foot. The bones were shattered. Nothing could heal it. So, the story goes, he cut away the ruined foot himself. For the rest of his life he walked with a sheath over his left leg. It never stopped him.

The monk. At nineteen, in B.E. 2438 (1895), he became a novice at Wat Chan Di. He learned the entire Patimokkha by heart. A year later he was ordained a monk at the water-hall ordination site of Wat Wang Muang. His monastic name was Chanthasuwanno.

He studied Pali at Wat Na Phra Borommathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He trained in meditation at Wat Sam Phan in Surat Thani. Then, still a young monk, he was invited to lead Wat Suan Khan. He stayed its abbot for the rest of his life.

The builder. Where there was no water, he dug wells. Where there was no road, he built one. He only had to say he would do it, and villagers came to help. Researchers count around 20 roads, 15 bridges, 9 chedis and 4 schools linked to him. In B.E. 2498 (1955) he received the title Phra Khru Phisit Atthakan. In B.E. 2500 (1957) he also became abbot of Wat Phra That Noi.

The Golden Mouth. His words came true. So people named him Wacha Sit, the one whose speech is sacred.

The most famous story happened at Chan Di railway station. The train to Bangkok was about to leave. Por Than Klai asked the stationmaster to wait, as a temple boy had gone back for his robe. The stationmaster could not wait. But witnesses say Por Than Klai simply placed his foot on the train's step. The engine roared at full power. The train did not move.

His word reached far. In B.E. 2500 (1957), he presided over the eye-opening of Luang Pho Yang Yai at Wat Yang Yai. He said the temple would prosper. Today it is one of the best-known temples in the South.

The legacy. Por Than Klai passed away on 5 December B.E. 2513 (1970), aged about 95, after 74 years in robes. His body was never cremated. It rests in a glass coffin at Wat Phra That Noi to this day. Across the South, his image is in homes, shops and along the roads. He is called the "Thewada of Mueang Khon", the angel of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Origins of the Material

Por Than Klai chewed betel nut every day. And devotees wanted every bit of it.

Old disciples say people would wait for days just to receive his Chanmak. His spittoon was barely stained. Devotees asked for the betel before it ever reached it.

Stories spread fast. One devotee kept a cloth marked with his betel on the family altar. A fire swept through the village. His house was the one left standing, barely touched.

This piece is the purest kind. It is true chewed betel, spat out by Por Than Klai himself. Nothing was added. No powder. No herbs. Only the master's own Chanmak.

With age, true chewed betel dries and hardens until it feels like stone. It was rolled into a Loop Om, a small sacred ball meant to be kept close to the body.

Pieces like this are the ones old devotees guarded most. They came straight from the master's mouth. Many would not part with them for any price.

Blessings

• Metta Maha Niyom: kindness, popularity and goodwill
• Klaew Klaad: safety and protection from danger
• Protection from black magic
• Smooth trade, prosperity and progress
• Good health and protection of the home
• Baramee: the spiritual power of Por Than Klai

How to Wear

Wear it as a pendant, or carry it in your pocket. Keep it close, as old devotees did.

It can be worn with monk images, Barang or other Southern pieces. It suits Buddha images too, for a full set of mainstream items.

When not wearing it, keep it in a clean, respectful place. Treat it as you would the master himself.