SOUTHERN THAILAND
SONGKHLA — ‘THE GREAT CITY OF TWO SEAS’
MERIT-MAKING PILGRIMAGE TO SATHING PHRA PENINSULA
Sacred Sites in Songkhla
Songkhla — ‘the great city of two seas’, overlooks Songkhla Lake, an inland sea to the west known to local residents as Thale Noi, and the Gulf of Thailand or Thale Nok, the outer sea to the east.
Temples situated in the ‘old cities’ of the Sathing Phra peninsula route date back to the time of the thriving Srivijaya Kingdom of the 7th-12th centuries. Many of these temples are associated with His Reverend Somdet Luang Poo Tuad Yieb Nam Thale Jued – the Exalted One, noted for the miraculous act of turning seawater into freshwater. Somdet Luang Poo Tuad is also known as Luang Poh Tuad or Somdet Phako.
Highway 408, from the district of Amphoe Singh Nakhon to Amphoe Ranat, follows the coastline.
Chedi
The word ‘chedi’ originates from the word ‘cetiya’ in Pali. The chedi, or stupa, is a solid cone-shaped monument. Chedis throughout the Thai kingdom reflect a vast range of architectural styles. Chedis in Northern Thailand are multi-sided and more elaborate, while others take the shape of an inverted bowl or bell-shaped structure. Chedis symbolise the enduring stability of Buddhism. Many chedis are believed to house holy relics (pieces of bone) of the historical Buddha. In Northern, as well as Northeastern, Thailand, these stupas are called ‘that’ or ‘phra that’.
Viharn
An assembly hall in a Thai temple or a Buddhist chapel that houses Buddha images and mural paintings. The viharn is used for ceremonies involving both monks and lay people.
Ubosoth
An ordination hall or Buddhist chapel where monks are ordained. The ubosoth is situated on holy ground marked by sema stones (temple boundary markers).
SOMDET LUANG POO TUAD
His Reverend Luang Poh Tuad or Somdet Phako is known by several other names. Ordained as Ram Dhammiko, local folks took to addressing the young 20-year old Buddhist monk as Chao Samree Ram.
Following a miraculous act of having turned seawater into freshwater, Chao Samree Ram was said to be endowed with supernatural powers and has gained a following since. The description ‘Yieb Nam Thale Jued’ refers to the miraculous moment when Luang Poh Tuad ‘stepped on sea water’ and in doing so ‘turned sea water into freshwater’.
Into the twenty first century, His Reverend Luang Poh Tuad remains one of the kingdom’s four famous and highly revered Buddhist monks. Luang Poh Tuad’s following spans the centuries and now extends well beyond the 'baby boomers'. In recognition of this seniority, Luang Poh Tuad is known to younger followers as Luang Poo Tuad. Those who have faith in Luang Poo Tuad firmly believe that his sacredness provides protection against accidents, fire and various types of disasters.
Son of Hoo and Jandra, Luang Poh Tuad or Somdet Phako was originally named ‘Poo’. Following his ordination at the age of 20, he became known as Chao Samree Ram. His exact date of birth is not known but he is believed to have lived during the reign of King Maha Dhammaraja in the mid-sixteenth century.
According to folk tales, shortly after Master Poo’s birth, his mother, Mrs Jandra, returned to work in the rice-fields during the harvest season. On one occasion when Mrs Jandra left her young son lying in the cradle under a rose apple (chompoo) tree, a boa constrictor slithered up to the cradle. Upon her return to the site, Mrs Jandra was horrified to find the reptile within inches of her son. The reptile subsequently disappeared but left behind a magic crystal ball.
In times past, village temples also served as the centre of education as well as a centre of religious instruction. When Master Poo was seven years old, his father placed him under the custodian of Juang, Master Poo’s uncle who was at the time the abbot of Wat Kuti Luang temple (also known as Wat Dee Luang) so his son could attend the temple school. Master Poo turned out to be an intelligent child mastering ancient Khmer and the Thai language in an exceptionally short period of time. Master Poo was ordained as a novice on his tenth birthday. His father presented him with the magic crystal ball to be worn as a talisman.
Master Poo subsequently travelled to Wat Si Young (Si Khoo Young temple) to further his education with Phra Shinnasen, a skilful and reputable monk from the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, formerly known as Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya. At the age of 20, he travelled to Nakhon Si Thammarat to further his education at the Reverend Piyadassi Maha Thera Court and was subsequently ordained as a monk. Although he was formally named, ‘Ram Dhammiko’, the generally public referred to him as ‘Chao Samee Ram’.
Chao Samree Ram pursued further education at Wat Tha Pae, Wat Simamuang and several others. Having decided that he had perhaps attained a reasonable level of education, Chao Samree Ram decided to return to Ayutthaya and sought passage on a junk.
While in the vicinity of Chumphon, the junk sailed into a storm and the journey turned perilous. The junk battled against gale force winds, high waves and stormy seas. The junk had to anchor there for a week and food and water supplies ran out. The crew had little doubt that Chao Samree Ram was the cause of their misfortune and decided it would be wise to part ways. The crew decided to ask Chao Samree Ram to leave the junk but provided the monk with a row boat so he could head for shore. As Chao Samree Ram sat in the row boat, he dipped his left leg into the sea. In doing so, he miraculously turned sea water into fresh water.
Contact information:
TAT Southern Office – Region 1
Areas of responsibility: the provinces of Songkhla (Hat Yai) and Satun
Tel: 074 243747, 238518
Fax: 074 245986
E-mail: tatsgkhi@tat.or.th
RELIGIOUS TRAVEL
SACRED PILGRIMAGE SITES
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