Revered Monk Luang Pu Yot of Kaew Charoen Temple Remembered
Luang Pu Yot, the revered abbot of Kaew Charoen Temple in Samut Songkhram, passed away in 1998 after 66 years of monastic life and became famous for his healing skills in bone-setting that drew patients from across the region.
Luang Pu Yot Shinwangso, formally Phra Kru Sunton Tammakij, was the former abbot of Kaew Charoen Temple in Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram Province, and a revered Buddhist saint of the Mae Klong River basin. Born on May 16, 1911, in Bang Noi Market area of Ratchaburi Province to a merchant family, he learned to read and write from his father and later helped his mother with her trading work.
At age 18, he became a novice monk under Phra Kru Plian Suwannacho, abbot of Kaew Charoen Temple, on July 16, 1929. At age 20, he was ordained as a fully-fledged monk on May 8, 1931, receiving the monastic name Shinwangso. He studied Buddhist texts with great diligence and earned ranks in Buddhist studies up to the highest level. He cared devotedly for Phra Kru Plian until the latter's death on August 16, 1941. The following day, Luang Pu Chai of Amphawa appointed him as acting abbot of Kaew Charoen Temple and acting district sangha leader.
Kaew Charoen Temple, originally built during the Ayutthaya period by Raman people and long abandoned, was formally established as a temple in 1832 and received royal ordination as a Buddhist monastery in 1986. From 1944 onward, Luang Pu Yot developed the temple extensively, establishing it as a healing center. He became famous for his skill in bone-setting and fracture treatment, which brought patients from across the region to seek his care instead of visiting hospitals.
He received successive ecclesiastical promotions: in 1948 he was granted the rank of Phra Kru, in 1964 he was elevated to the second rank, and in 1974 to the highest rank. Beyond his spiritual duties, he oversaw Buddhist education programs and mentored monks and novices in discipline and religious practices. He also led community projects to restore and maintain the temple and its religious treasures.
Luang Pu Yot passed away peacefully on March 12, 1998, at the age of 86 after 66 years of monastic life. Among his most cherished amulets was a five-colored blessed thread believed to carry spiritual protection and ward off danger, transmitted from his teacher Luang Pu Chai. The temple also houses highly prized Buddha amulets and over 100 sacred medals, with his first-edition Phra Somdej amulet being especially popular.
