Villagers excitedly gathered to seek the "lucky numbers 1/8/69" from firecracker tails during the ceremony installing the "Phor Pu Saen Tong Naga Statue" at Wat Phra Phuttha Mongkhon in Phrae Province after mysterious shadow images appeared in photographs, believed to bring great fortune to the faithful.
At 10:00 a.m. on 26 July 2026, reporters visited Ban Tonimit, Village No. 8, Rong Kat Subdistrict, Sung Men District, Phrae Province, following reports from villagers that photos taken at the sacred pond of Saen Tong Cave in front of Wat Phra Phuttha Mongkhon (Wat Phra Chao Ton Luang), Village No. 8, Rong Kat Subdistrict, Sung Men District, had captured images of Phor Pu Saen Tong.
That morning, many villagers from Ban Tonimit gathered enthusiastically at the site, where a statue of Phor Pu Naga and a replica cave were built over the sacred pond. They came to view the mysterious photos and had set up a unity forest offering to prepare for the merit-making ceremony to enshrine the heart of Phor Pu Saen Tong on 29 July 2026.
Mr. Amarin Kaewma, 70, a retired civil servant and former village headman of Village No. 8, Ban Tonimit, revealed that this spot was once an old pond. In the past, villagers would throw banana leaves into the pond; when the water dried, the leaves mysteriously disappeared. Eventually, hundreds of thousands of these leaves were found downstream in the Yom River near Ban Wang Won, several kilometers away. This wondrous event has been passed down as a legend for thousands of years. Upon becoming village headman, he developed the area to preserve the Saen Tong Cave legend by installing the Naga statue as a resting place and spiritual refuge for villagers.
Ms. Pakjira Miansao, 45, a resident of Village No. 8, Ban To, Rong Kat Subdistrict, said that yesterday villagers held a ceremony to install the Phor Pu Saen Tong Naga statue. At that moment, a halo phenomenon appeared around the sun, astonishing all attendees. Later that evening, she returned to check the site and lighting installations and took photos to share with friends. However, she noticed in the photos what appeared to be a white shadowy figure sitting cross-legged nearby. She shared this discovery, which spread through the village as a mysterious sign. The village has since organized a forest offering to prepare for the heart enshrinement ceremony of the Phor Pu Saen Tong Naga statue on 29 July, inviting everyone to join the merit-making and seek good luck.
After the photos circulated, villagers who heard the news came to see the photo location and requested to see the firecracker tail numbers used during the ceremony, which included 379 and 14. Some said they would also use the truck number that transported the Naga statue, 1680, to buy lottery tickets for the upcoming draw, confident that the mysteries and wonders of Phor Pu Saen Tong and the sacred entities at Wat Phra Chao Ton Luang, such as the revered Chao Pu Kham Lue, will bestow great luck.
