Wat Samakkhitham Bangkok: Luang Pu Lam, Gecko Charms & Thao Wessuwan

Wat Samakkhitham (วัดสามัคคีธรรม, also romanised Wat Samakkeetham or Wat Samakitham) is a Mahanikaya Buddhist temple at 51 Soi Lat Phrao 64 in Wang Thonglang district, Bangkok. In the amulet world it is above all the temple of its founding abbot, Luang Pu Lam Sirithammo (1929–2019) — the master revered as the definitive maker of the gecko (tukkae) charm, and famed too for his millionaire-cowrie amulets and hand-woven waist cords. The same temple is also widely venerated for its sacred Thao Wessuwan: the imposing guardian statue before its ordination hall and the popular amulets cast in its name. Tucked down a residential soi off Lat Phrao Road, the temple is a striking example of how a modern Bangkok neighbourhood wat can become a nationally known centre of sacred craftsmanship through the reputation of a single monk.

A note on names: Thailand has many temples called Wat Samakkhitham (“temple of harmony in the Dhamma”), including one in Phunphin district, Surat Thani. The temple described here — by far the best documented in connection with amulets — is the Bangkok temple of Luang Pu Lam on Lat Phrao 64.

History of Wat Samakkhitham

By Bangkok standards Wat Samakkhitham is a young temple. Originally known simply as Wat Mai (“the new temple”), it received official permission for construction on 2 May 1967 (BE 2510) and was formally declared a temple on 25 September of the same year, on land of roughly 12 rai donated and supported by local lay families. At the time, the area was administratively part of Bang Kapi district in Phra Nakhon province; today it sits in the Wang Thonglang district of Bangkok proper. The ordination hall (ubosot) was built in 1970 (BE 2513), and the royal grant of wisungkhamsima — the consecrated boundary that makes a temple’s ubosot canonically valid — followed on 11 February 1974 (BE 2517). A vihara was added in 1987 (BE 2530) and a large sermon hall in 2011 (BE 2554).

The driving force behind the temple’s construction was the monk invited by the faithful to lead it: Phra Khru Sirithammarat, known to all of Thailand as Luang Pu Lam Sirithammo, who served as its first abbot and remained there for more than half a century. Thai newspapers liked to call him the “phra keng klang krung” — the master adept in the middle of the capital.

Luang Pu Lam Sirithammo: The Founding Abbot

Luang Pu Lam was born Lam Sae-Jeng on 31 August 1929 (BE 2472) into a Thai-Chinese family in Bang Ya Phraek subdistrict, Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan province. Fascinated by incantation lore even before ordaining, he entered the monkhood at age twenty at Wat Bang Ya Phraek and passed the first level of Dhamma studies in 1949 (BE 2492).

His magical lineage was formidable. He trained first under Luang Por Phoei, abbot of Wat Bang Ya Phraek, who entrusted him with caring for villagers in his stead; through the lay master Ajahn Phan Nonta he inherited wicha descending from the great Luang Pu Suk of Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao; and he became the leading disciple of Luang Por Khruen of Wat Sangkho in Suphan Buri, from whom he received the famous gecko (tukkae) wicha along with the making of yantra cloths and takrut scrolls. A dedicated thudong monk from his first rains-retreat, he wandered for years and helped build or restore several temples — including Wat Khlong Bang Ping in Samut Prakan — before settling at Wat Samakkhitham in 1967 to build the last temple of his life. In 1979 (BE 2522) he received the royal ecclesiastical title Phra Khru Sirithammarat. He died peacefully on 22 March 2019 (BE 2562) at the age of 90, after 70 years in the robes.

Gecko Charms, Cowries and Other Famous Amulets

Luang Pu Lam’s signature creation is the gecko charm. As the heir to Luang Por Khruen’s gecko (tukkae) wicha, his tukkae maha lap (“great fortune gecko”) charms — carved in wood in several sizes — are regarded as the definitive modern examples of this unusual charm, believed to call in luck and customers for shopkeepers. His bia setthi (“millionaire cowrie”) and bia kae countermagic shells, hand-woven waist cords (his supreme protective wicha, taking months of inscription to complete), takrut scrolls, yantra cloths, Phra Rahu eclipse amulets, Hanuman images, treasure-guarding crocodiles and the rare “celestial maiden doll” (mae nang tukta kai sit) figures fill out a catalogue that collectors in Thailand and abroad actively pursue. Genuine pieces carry the temple’s code stamps, and the temple’s own website documents the editions — a valuable resource in a market where copies abound. You can browse the pieces we currently stock in our amulet shop, and our guide to Phra Somdej amulets explains how classic Thai votive tablets are assessed.

Thai amulet writers remember Luang Pu Lam as a healer and subduer of spirits from his earliest years in the robes — which is precisely why his Thao Wessuwan, lord of the yaksha, was considered so potent.

The Thao Wessuwan of Wat Samakkhitham

Thao Wessuwan (Vaisravana, also spelled Tao Wessuwan) is the Guardian King of the North in Buddhist cosmology, ruler of the yaksha and protector against evil spirits and misfortune. A large statue of him has long stood before the entrance to Wat Samakkhitham’s ubosot, and devotees credit the spot with exceptional sacred power; temple lore even whispers that the ground before the ordination hall is a gateway to another realm.

The famous BE 2550 (2007) casting

The temple’s most celebrated Thao Wessuwan edition came in 2007 (BE 2550), when Wat Samakkhitham held its first suat phan yak — the rare and dramatic yaksha-subduing chant ceremony. For the casting, the temple invited Phra Ajahn Chin Thammanukon (Yen Kao) of the Chinese Nikaya to co-preside, so the bronzes were empowered by both Thai and Chinese ritual traditions, with Luang Pu Lam himself sitting in meditation over the consecration. Temple records list the 2550 edition as 6 in gold, 543 in silver, 3,000 in mixed metal, 2,000 gilded, 40 flag-top pieces and about 150 bucha (altar-size) statues. The batch sold out quickly and reports of extraordinary experiences spread its fame nationwide.

Later batches: BE 2556 and BE 2559

Demand never ceased, so the temple created further editions, always accompanied by a phan yak ceremony. The 2013 (BE 2556) batch included 20 silver, 2,000 gilded and 2,000 copper pendants plus baked-clay versions (1,000 with embedded takrut, 2,000 without). The 2016 (BE 2559) batch comprised 1,951 small and 999 large metal images plus 200 in special alloy, all serial-numbered. After Luang Pu Lam’s death, the temple continued the tradition: a November 2021 casting of Thao Wessuwan images in three sizes raised funds for five-metre statues of the guardian kings Thao Virulhok and Thao Virupak and for a museum honouring Luang Pu Lam. A smiling statue of Thao Thatarattha, Guardian of the East, had already joined the original Wessuwan — created, the temple recounts, after the deity appeared in local residents’ dreams asking for a companion.

Wat Samakkhitham Today

Before his death, Luang Pu Lam transmitted his complete wicha to a final disciple, Phra Maha Wibun Kitchasaro, who arrived at the temple in 2003 and studied under the master for sixteen years — from basic yantra script to the gecko and waist-cord wicha. The temple thus continues its tradition of sacred craftsmanship, holds regular phan yak and merit-making ceremonies, and has built a mondop museum enshrining the memory and effects of Luang Pu Lam, funded partly by the post-2019 Thao Wessuwan editions. Both Thai and foreign devotees still come to the temple specifically to ask for Thao Wessuwan images to take home.

Visiting Wat Samakkhitham

The temple is at 51 Soi Lat Phrao 64, Phlapphla subdistrict, Wang Thonglang district, Bangkok — an easy taxi or motorcycle-taxi ride from the Lat Phrao corridor. The grounds are open daily, and the Thao Wessuwan and Thao Thatarattha statues in front of the ubosot can be venerated at any reasonable hour; offerings traditionally favoured for Thao Wessuwan include incense, red drinks and marigolds. Amulets are rented (the polite Thai term for purchased) at the temple office, and enquiries can be made by telephone on 02-538-4259. Dress modestly as at all Thai temples. For more on Bangkok’s sacred sites, see our article on Wat Rakhang Khositaram and the rest of our Temples section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wat Samakkhitham located?

Wat Samakkhitham is at 51 Soi Lat Phrao 64, Phlapphla subdistrict, Wang Thonglang district, Bangkok. It sits in a residential neighbourhood off Lat Phrao Road and is most easily reached by taxi or motorcycle taxi. The temple grounds and the Thao Wessuwan statue area are open to visitors daily.

Who was Luang Pu Lam Sirithammo?

Luang Pu Lam (1929–2019) was the founding abbot of Wat Samakkhitham, holding the title Phra Khru Sirithammarat. A disciple of Luang Por Phoei and Luang Por Khruen, and heir to wicha descending from Luang Pu Suk, he was famed above all for his gecko charms, along with cowrie amulets, waist cords and Thao Wessuwan images.

What is Luang Pu Lam’s gecko (tukkae) charm?

The tukkae maha lap (“great fortune gecko”) is the charm Luang Pu Lam is most famous for. He inherited the gecko wicha from Luang Por Khruen of Wat Sangkho in Suphan Buri, and his hand-carved wooden geckos are regarded as the definitive modern examples — traditionally kept by shopkeepers and traders to call in luck, customers and wealth. His millionaire-cowrie (bia setthi) amulets are nearly as sought-after.

Why is the Thao Wessuwan of Wat Samakkhitham famous?

The temple’s Thao Wessuwan images were consecrated under Luang Pu Lam Sirithammo, a renowned master of spirit-subduing magic, through rare suat phan yak ceremonies. The 2007 (BE 2550) casting combined Thai and Chinese Nikaya rites, and devotees’ reported experiences made the statue and its amulets famous across Thailand.

What amulet editions of Thao Wessuwan did the temple make?

Documented pendant editions with phan yak ceremonies were issued in BE 2550 (2007), BE 2556 (2013) and BE 2559 (2016), in gold, silver, mixed metal, gilded, copper and baked clay, mostly in limited serial-numbered runs. Further editions after 2019 fund the Luang Pu Lam museum and guardian-king statues.

Is this the same Wat Samakkhitham as the one in Surat Thani?

No. Several Thai temples share the name Wat Samakkhitham, including one in Phunphin district, Surat Thani. The amulet-famous temple of Luang Pu Lam and the sacred Thao Wessuwan described here is the Bangkok temple on Soi Lat Phrao 64 in Wang Thonglang district, founded in 1967 (BE 2510).