An ancient jar was found hidden beneath the base of a Buddha statue at Khlong Suwannakhiri Temple in Ratchaburi Province. Upon opening, over 600 Phra Somdej amulets were discovered along with an inscribed plaque urging those who found them to help develop the temple.
On 25 July 2026 at Khlong Suwannakhiri Temple, Ku Bua Subdistrict, Mueang District, Ratchaburi Province, Phra Kru Wachirasuwannawong Wi, the abbot of the temple, together with Mr. Adul Pimpro, the headman of Ku Bua Subdistrict, and the temple committee, inspected two ancient jars found by workers who were landscaping and relocating the temple’s dining hall. The jars were hidden beneath the base of a Buddha statue near the dining hall area.
Upon opening the jars, they found Phra Somdej amulets made of powder with a square shape, similar to the Phra Somdej Pu Phu from Wat Intrawiharn. The first jar contained 295 amulets and the second 328, totaling 623. It is preliminarily estimated they were made between 1920 and 1932 CE.
They also found a cement plaque inscribed with a message from Phra Kru Sitthiwachirathorn, a former abbot of Khlong Suwannakhiri Temple, stating it was buried in 1991 CE. The message reads: “If anyone finds these Phra Somdej amulets, please use the funds received to help maintain and develop the temple. This is a legacy passed on to future generations.”
Phra Kru Wachirasuwannawong Wi explained that the discovery happened during landscaping and realigning the dining hall buildings to expand usable space for community activities and to accommodate tourists visiting the temple’s historic sites. They did not expect to find jars containing Phra Somdej amulets and the inscribed plaque.
The abbot also invited Buddhists to sponsor and contribute funds to the project of relocating and renovating the dining hall, which has preliminary costs of about 650,000 baht, plus an additional estimated 300,000 baht for building improvements. The aim is to develop the temple’s landscape to be orderly, suitable, and beneficial for communal use in the future.