Amulet makers face fraud charges

Amulet makers face fraud charges
Government investigators are compiling evidence against producers of a Buddha amulet, who are currently the subject of public criticism and claims of fraud.

Published on December 18, 2007


The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) looking to see if it can take criminal action against the amulet producers, spokesman Piyawat Kingket said yesterday.

Piyawat said he would propose to Thanphuying Butri Viravaidya, a deputy principal private secretary to His Majesty the King, that she file a complaint with police seeking criminal action against the producers of Somdej Phra Nue Hua Amulets.

The DSI is looking into the matter after Thanphuying Butri made a complaint to the Religious Affairs Department last Friday over commercials for the amulets, priced at Bt999 apiece, that suggested a connection with the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.

The DSI cannot take any action unless it can prove public fraud has been committed.

The commercials said the insignia of the Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut, a crown worn by the King in royal ceremonies, was engraved on the back of the amulets. Thanphuying Butri said this was done without permission from the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.

She also dismissed as false a statement in the commercials that the King donated dried flowers to producers of the amulets for them to be ground into dust that was mixed into the amulets' composite texture.

Thanphuying Butri said use of the name Somdej Phra Nue Hua misled the public into thinking the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary was producing the amulets.

According to an initial report, one of the producers of the amulets was ordained briefly as a novice at Wat Suthas. The unidentified person then used the name of the temple and the Atthama Rachanusorn Founda-tion as the institutional co-producers of the amulets.

After an announcement on the weekend by the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary that it had nothing to do with production of the amulets, billboards and banners at Wat Suthas and the foundation, located in the temple compound, were removed.

A large group of people in Prachuap Khiri Khan, who had paid to purchase the amulets in advance, gathered outside local postal offices yesterday to demand their money back. Postal clerks refused to return the money, which prompted the protesters to lodge a complaint with a complaint-receiving service at the Interior Ministry.

Justice Ministry permanent secretary Charan Phakdithana-kul said two commercial banks and Thailand Post, which had received a large number of reserved orders for amulets from members of the public, should call a meeting to discuss what to do if people demanded their money back. He said the orders could be nullified by those who paid money in advance if they submitted letters of intent to void the contract. The plaintiffs would have to cite untrue conditions claimed by the amulet producers over the inclusion of the crown insignia and flower dust in the amulets.

Religious Affairs Depart-ment director-general Sod Daeng-iad said the Atthama Rachanusorn Foundation had not yet given an answer on where it would build the "Two-Kings Monastery", with funds raised from the sale of the amulets.

The foundation announced the plan to build the monastery in its advertisements.

He said the use of the name Somdej Phra Nue Hua was not appropriate, and he would liaise with relevant government agencies including the DSI to resolve the matter. Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon said the ministry had yet to receive a request for written permission from the amulet producers to use the name, which was a mandatory requirement.

The manufacturer had simply launched the amulets through commercials and taken orders from members of the public.

The Nation