Discarded deity statue linked to lottery wins in Rayong

A broken statue of the deity Yama, discarded by a roadside, has become the centre of a series of uncanny events.

Along Ban Phla Road in Rayong’s Ban Chang District, a mysterious tale unfolded at 5pm yesterday, June 13, involving a discarded and broken statue of Yama at a community forest in the Phla subdistrict.

Reporters arrived at the scene, where a large Bodhi tree stood prominently. Two Bodhi trees marked the location, under whose shade an abandoned shrine and several statues had been left. Among the discarded items, a striking black statue of Yama caught the eye. Despite the neglected shrine, the area was surprisingly clean and orderly, devoid of the usual signs of abandonment.

A 75 year old local named Ladda who lives opposite the old shrine, recounted how an unknown villager had discarded the statue of Yama with a broken wrist. A retired teacher who frequently used this route repaired the wrist and painted the statue beautifully.

Subsequently, the teacher experienced a stroke of luck, winning the lottery three times in a row. Driven by gratitude, the teacher made it a daily routine to stop by and clean the area meticulously.

Ladda herself never bought lottery tickets and thus never experienced similar luck. However, she regularly swept the roadside to keep it tidy, always paying respects and seeking permission to clean the area without causing displeasure.

Another shrine, a red pavilion, was recently built by Ladda’s daughter following a significant lottery win. Her daughter, who has a keen interest in numbers, regularly visited the shrine to seek good fortune. Occasionally, she would ask her mother to accompany her, especially during late evening visits.

As the lottery draw approached, villagers often gathered around midnight, applying powder to the Bodhi trees, and paying respects to the shrines and the Yama statue. Those who won the lottery brought offerings, which used to include traditional Thai dresses. Ladda mentioned that she had disposed of many such dresses but still found some left behind due to their sheer number.

When asked if she had ever encountered anything supernatural at the shrine, Ladda responded that she had not. A revered monk had once advised her that if she ever sensed something behind her, she should turn her whole body rather than just her head to determine if it was a ghost or a person. Despite the monk’s advice, she had never encountered anything unusual, reported Sanook.