A large crowd of devotees gathered to worship at Phra Than Sila Athon and join the auspicious longevity merit-making ceremony for a renowned monk, the Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief of Uttaradit (Dhammayut). Attendees did not miss the chance to observe the sacred incense sticks and obtained a "lucky number" to try their luck.
On 22 Jan 2026 at the ceremonial courtyard in front of the main viharn at Phra Than Sila Athon Royal Monastery in Laplae district, Uttaradit province, many Buddhist devotees from the province came together to perform the auspicious 60th birthday and 40th monastic year merit-making ceremony for His Eminence Phra Vinai Sathorn (Thawin Thawaro), Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief of Uttaradit (Dhammayut) and abbot of Phra Than Sila Athon Royal Monastery.
The ceremony included elaborate offerings such as traditional bai sri arrangements, various fruits, fruit juices, and sweets prepared fully at the ceremony area. Then, Phra Kru Wathep Patchar Sophon (Rachan Ariyo), assistant abbot of Wat Mahathat Royal Monastery in Phetchabun province, a renowned monk and famous preacher both nationally and internationally, arrived to preside over the ritual of worshipping Phra Than Sila Athon.
They performed rituals to pay respects and communicate with the deities of the 16 celestial heavens, 15 earthly layers, 14 subterranean levels, sacred entities in heaven and the underworld, including Mother Earth and Mother Ganga. These rites invited blessings and joy for the ceremony, opened the way to receive positive energy and fortune, sought forgiveness from sacred beings, summoned divine assistance for smooth proceedings, and dedicated merit to those who contributed to the temple.
Following this, the merit-making ceremony celebrating the 60th birthday and 40th monastic years of His Eminence Phra Vinai Sathorn (Thawin Thawaro), Provincial Ecclesiastical Chief of Uttaradit (Dhammayut) and abbot of Phra Than Sila Athon Royal Monastery, was conducted with monks chanting Buddhist scriptures together.
Phra Kru Wathep Patchar Sophon (Rachan Ariyo), assistant abbot of Wat Mahathat Royal Monastery in Phetchabun and a renowned monk, distributed a 100-pound strawberry cream cake to Buddhist devotees and disciples to partake in for good luck.
Phra Vinai Sathorn (Thawin Thawaro) received his ecclesiastical rank in 2007 as a certified monk and abbot of a first-class royal monastery with the title Phra Kru Thaworn Thammakowit. On 5 Dec 2011, he was appointed to the royal ecclesiastical rank of Phra Vinai Sathorn.
After the ceremony concluded, participants observed numbers appearing on the sacred incense sticks lit during the ritual to use as lucky numbers for the lottery draw on 1 Feb 2026, which revealed the number 709.
Attendees then paid respects to Phra Than Sila Athon, believed to be an important historic and sacred site in Thailand located within Phra Than Sila Athon Temple in Uttaradit. It is believed that the Buddha once sat here. Tradition holds that those who pay homage to Phra Than Sila Athon three times in their lifetime will be reborn in heaven, as it is considered a great accumulation of merit and the highest form of respect to the Buddha.