Akarwit Thepasit,
Pianwit Jarusathit and Pipat Supakiwattana cut the ribbon to officially
open the Luang Poo Tim museum.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Looking to increase religious tourism to the region,
the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya Office officially opened a
museum to honor Luang Pu Tim, a monk many considered to be the Buddhist
Saint of the East.
TAT Pattaya Deputy Director Akarwit Thepasit on June
16 cut the ribbon on the Bunyapirat Museum located at the Pattaya
Shooting Range in Huay Yai. The two-story facility was founded by
Pianwit Jarusathit and Pipat Supakiwattana, two followers of the priest
known by the religious name of Isariko, who became abbot of Lahan Rai
Temple in Rayong before his death in 2009.
Pianwit, who said he served Luang Pu Tim 30 years ago
and stayed close with him until his death, says the mystical monk had as
many as 30 million followers around the world.
Born as Ngamsii Tim in Rayong in 1937, he was
ordained a monk at age 19 and spent his first year at Thatkaow Temple in
Chiang Mai but retreated into the forest for three years before
returning to study Dharma at Lahan Rai Temple in Rayong.
Despite his popularity among mystics, he also gained
the respect of traditional Buddhists due to his strict and diligent
adherence to Dharma. A pillow and sleeping mat were about all his
worldly possessions and he lived in hut with no electricity until the
day he died.
