Divine dispenser: Thai man’s Buddha amulet vending machine sends waves through social media
A Thai man sparked a sensation across social media platforms in Thailand when he introduced a Buddha amulet vending machine to raise funds for temples in isolated areas. A famous Thai monk opposed the idea, saying selling amulets via vending machines is disrespectful.
News of the Buddha amulet vending machine went viral on Thai social media a few days ago after its founder, 33 year old Chayakorn Ittisarn, installed the machine at a shopping mall in the central province of Suphan Buri.
Chayakorn revealed in an interview with a local news agency in Suphan Buri that he and his family members loved making merit and were also Buddha amulet collectors. Motivated by a desire to support financially struggling temples, the concept of a vending machine sprang to mind for Chayakorn.
Chayakorn explained that he wanted his vending machine to solve the issue of counterfeit amulets among collectors. He ensured that all of the amulets in his vending machine were genuine. He and his family personally sourced the amulets from various temples and revered monks to include in the machine’s inventory.
Chayakorn added that part of the revenue would also go to temples in remote areas where monks struggle to cover necessities like tap water and electricity.
According to Chayakorn, the Buddha amulets are priced between 100 and 500 baht, with each item accompanied by detailed information regarding its composition and place of origin.
Thai TikTokers shared videos of Chayakorn’s Buddha amulet vending machine on their accounts drawing attention from many Thai amulet collectors. The collectors praised Chayakorn for his creative ideas which could solve the problem of buying fake amulets in Thailand.
A famous Thai amulet collector, Nanthaphan Saenko, also known as Tang Phra Suphan, expressed his pride in Chayakorn’s innovative idea in an interview with ThaiRath. Nanthaphan stated…
“I am surprised. It is cool that he (Chayakorn) could come up with this idea. I am proud of him. It is a new business model, but some of the old generations may not understand it because they say that the amulets are associated with grace and power should not be in a machine. The world is changing. I like it. The only concern is the fake amulet. The machine should offer only genuine ones.”
Despite the positive feedback, a well-known monk, Phrayom, from Suan Kaew Temple in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, opposed the idea. Phayom said…
“The Buddha amulets are sold like drugs and mackerels. The valuable amulet will become invaluable. No more grace. No more magical power. This is only about business. The amulet falls from a shelf to the floor when ordering. This is too much. It does not help develop people’s thoughts and minds at all.”
Many netizens agreed with Phrayom, leading to a backlash against Chayakorn and his vending machine. Consequently, the shopping mall decided to withdraw the machine and urged Chayakorn to reclaim it.
Chayakorn explained that he invested more than 100,000 baht into the machine and only made ten sales. He revealed he is stressed over the controversial issue but emphasised that he would continue operating the machine because he has good intentions.
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