Mae Sam Laep Chief Survives Myanmar Bomb Blast, Credits Amulets
Mae Sam Laep Subdistrict Chief Pongpipat Mibenchamas survived a cross-border bomb blast from Myanmar on November 1 that shattered windows across the subdistrict office, a church, a school, and a health station. The chief attributes his safety to the sacred amulets he wears daily. No serious injuries were reported despite the powerful explosions.
Mae Sam Laep Subdistrict Chief Pongpipat Mibenchamas, known as 'Mayor Chai', revealed that a Myanmar bomb blast destroyed the Sala Ta camp directly opposite the subdistrict office on November 1. At the time, he was supervising construction of a viewpoint on the Salween River. Staff and workers were startled by the blast and felt the pressure wave from two 500-pound bombs exploding in succession, prompting them to drop to the ground immediately. After the explosions, windows at the subdistrict office, a church, a school, and a health station were shattered, and shrapnel landed in the village. The incident happened so quickly there was barely time to react, but fortunately no one suffered serious injuries. Beyond caution, the chief credits his survival to three sacred amulets he always wears: a Luang Pu Thuat coin, a King Naresuan the Great coin, and a King Rama IX coin, all renowned for their protective powers.
