Wat Don Thong attracts over a thousand people for luck-enhancing rituals

The bustling Wat Don Thong in Chon Buri Province saw over a thousand people join a queue to receive a holy water bath and face-touching ritual yesterday from Ajarn Chalermrit Kunesko, also known as Ajarn Ae. This surge in attendees follows a social media trend of sharing a TikTok video of a lucky individual who won the first prize shortly after participating in the ritual.

Many of those in attendance at Wat Don Thong had travelled from different provinces. Some even brought their vehicles for the blessing to invite prosperity. The buzz around Grandfather Sua Mongkhon and Thao Wessuwan as symbols of good fortune has also increased significantly. The locals have been talking about it and many have come forward to participate in the ceremonies, feeling lucky afterwards.

One participant stated that he has been in attendance for the ritual 22 times and each time, he feels more at peace, witnessing good things in life. Even though he did not expect wealth, he said he came to find peace and listen to the teachings of Ajarn Ae. Lamjuan Inthamaploy, a 69 year old lottery vendor, revealed that a student who took part in a Wat Don Thong ceremony saw a lottery ticket at her stall but didn’t purchase it. The second person who came picked up the ticket and won 6 million baht on the first-prize ticket. The winner also made a merit offering to Ajarn Ae for temple renovation, reported KhaoSod.

Ajarn Chalermrit Kunesko, the officiating monk at Wat Don Thong, explained that the rituals of the holy water bath, and face and hand touching have been performed on his relatives for over ten years. Some people even came from far away places for peace of mind. The rituals have helped many, especially those in business, who have said their lives improved after participating. He also advises about the importance of abiding by Buddhist precepts and living a virtuous life.

The monks at Wat Don Thong also perform fortune-telling rituals involving the revered grandfather of the Mongkol and Thao Wessuwan where participants draw numbers from a bag of silver tokens for lottery luck in the draw on August 16. The holy water baths are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The face and hand-touching rituals are paused every Monday, but continue from Tuesday to Thursday and begin after 1pm.