A shocking discovery: 45 baht of gold was donated by devotees to cast the “golden Buddha hair” at a renowned temple in Pathum Thani. More than seven years later, when the abbot considered converting it into cash to buy land for temple expansion, an inspection revealed it was made of brass.
Social media circulated a clip from the Facebook page “Namo Goldsmith Shop Ban Chang Thong Phet Thong & Jewelry,” showing an elderly man bringing the golden Buddha hair statue's top to “Namo” for a gold purity test. He explained that about seven years ago, motivated by faith, he contributed approximately 45 baht of gold bars along with gold from the temple and devotees to cast the golden Buddha hair. Everyone saw the gold being poured into the mold, but the casting workshop took the mold back for finishing before returning it to the temple. The golden Buddha hair was only displayed during sacred ceremonies, after which the abbot secured it safely.
He grew suspicious and, with the abbot's permission, brought the golden Buddha hair to Namo shop for testing. The results showed only about 2% gold content; the rest was mostly zinc and copper. Approximately 47 baht of gold, valued at around 4 million baht today, appeared to have disappeared.
On 30 Apr 2026 GMT+7, reporters visited Boon Chuen Choo Temple in Bang Phun Subdistrict, Mueang Pathum Thani District, to clarify the issue. Meeting with Phra Kru Pathum Punyophat, the abbot, they learned the golden Buddha hair was created about 7-8 years ago during a major temple ceremony. Devout Buddhists donated gold bars and jewelry totaling over 50 baht to jointly cast the Buddha hair. Temple officials wore white garments during the casting, and the sponsors agreed to use genuine gold for the casting.
After the casting ceremony for both the principal Buddha statue and the Buddha hair atop its head, the foundry took the statues back to polish and decorate them before returning them to the temple. The temple stored the Buddha hair in a safe and only displayed it during temple ceremonies, placing it on the principal Buddha statue inside the pavilion.
Recently, the temple planned to buy adjacent land and discussed selling the Buddha hair statue to raise funds. However, when the statue was tested for gold content, it was found to contain only 2.39% gold. The abbot expressed great shock. Regarding legal action, Mr. Nakorn Kanthuulis, 69, one of the original donors of the 45 baht of gold, will file a police report at Pak Khlong Rangsit Police Station on 1 Jun 2026 GMT+7.
Mr. Nakorn revealed that his family donated 45 baht of gold during the Buddha casting ceremony, with other devotees contributing about 50 baht in total. After the ceremony, the gold used was kept by the abbot at the temple for eight years. Last week, the abbot contacted his family to discuss purchasing land next to the temple and proposed converting the gold Buddha hair into cash to fund the purchase. The family agreed, considering it a donation to the temple.
They then went to Namo Goldsmith Shop in Saraburi Province to verify and weigh the gold content of the Buddha hair. The shop's test revealed only 2.3% gold content, causing confusion and shock over the missing gold. They returned to the temple to discuss the matter. Subsequently, the goldsmith shop’s Facebook page posted about the discovery of the minimal gold content in the Buddha hair. The temple is now consulting on the next steps and hopes relevant authorities will assist in investigating the disappearance of approximately 50 baht of gold.
