Revered Monk Luang Pho Yan's First-Edition Turtle Amulets

Phra Kru Phiphitdhammabhirom, known as Luang Pho Yan Thitibanyo, was the former abbot of Wat Ban Khong in Potharam District, Ratchaburi Province, and is celebrated as the originator of the famous turtle amulet tradition of the Mae Klong River basin. He was born on Wednesday, April 18, 1888, in Ban Khong and studied at the local temple until completing fourth-grade primary education before ordaining as a novice and continuing his studies at Wat Ban Khong for three years. At age 20, he received full monastic ordination in 1908 under Phra Akhara Pad at Wat Ban Khong, where he practiced diligently, mastering the chanting of the Patimokkha by his first vassa. In his third vassa, he studied the Khmer language, translated the Patimokkha, and hand-copied sacred texts including ancient Khmer manuscripts and Buddhist scriptures. In his fourth vassa, he left Wat Ban Khong to practice at other temples, eventually arriving at Wat Sarasai in Nakhon Pathom, where he studied under another abbot for two years.

In 1914, he departed to practice at other locations, traveling north and settling at the abandoned Wat Somobat in Chai Nat Province, where villagers invited him to become the temple's abbot for four years. In 1918, he returned to Wat Ban Khong and assisted in repairs under Phra Akhara Chuen. Following Phra Akhara Chuen's death in 1926, he became the abbot of Wat Ban Khong and oversaw six temples in the Potharam District administrative area. He established a school for Buddhist studies with permanent instructors, maintained strict daily practice, and provided guidance to both monastics and laypeople. In 1932, he was officially appointed as district chief monk. He personally oversaw the construction of a bell tower using brick and mortar, and in 1933, he led the community in building a new monastic residence with tiled roofing. In 1940, he constructed a school building, completed in 1941 during World War II. In 1942, he received the ecclesiastical rank of Upachaya. In 1954, he was granted a royal promotion to the rank of Phra Kru with the title Phra Kru Phiphitdhammabhirom. In 1963, he founded Wat Ban Khong School with a cornerstone ceremony on March 2, 1963, which has since developed into the Potharam Technical College and continues to serve students in Potharam District. He passed away on June 21, 1965, at the age of 78, having completed 57 vassas. While he created many types of amulets including coins, serpent-king medallions, and lockets, his most renowned and widely recognized creation remains the "turtle amulet."