Special Report - The Coin of Luang Por Bot Noi of Wat Amarin Thararam

Luang Por Bot Noi is a sacred Buddhist statue from the Sukhothai period, in the Mara Vijaya posture, made of bronze. The statue's original creator and exact time of creation are unknown. Local stories suggest it was a small bronze Buddha image that was later covered with plaster to make it appear larger and more proportionate to the chapel. In 1898, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), the Southern Railway line was constructed, cutting through the temple grounds and forcing the removal of one section of the chapel, reducing it to three rooms. This is how it became known as the "Small Chapel" (Bot Noi), and consequently, the main Buddha image was called "Luang Por Bot Noi". During World War II, enemy aircraft bombed the nearby Thonburi Railway Station, which also damaged the temple. The bombing destroyed much of the temple, including the chapel, causing the plastered head of the Buddha statue to break. The head was temporarily kept at Wat Arun during the war. After the war, the temple underwent extensive restoration. While repairing the statue, they found the original head too damaged and decided to create a new one while preserving the original facial features. The temple also created commemorative amulets, including coins, to help fund the restoration. The first batch of coins, created in 1945, features a detailed image of Luang Por Bot Noi sitting on a five-tiered base, with intricate Khmer inscriptions and sacred geometric designs on both sides.