Buddhist amulet collectors vied for gold prizes for the best, most excellent and most-popular figures.
Col. Somnuk Changate, president of the Pattaya Amulet Association, opened the Dec 21 show at the Eastern National Indoor Sports Stadium on Soi Chaiyapruek 2.
Gen. Wutthinan Leelayuth presided over the three contests, which judged amulets in the “best”, “excellent”, and “most popular” categories. The winner of the Excellent Amulet award was given two-baht-weight in gold while the popular vote winner took home one-baht-weight in gold. The Best Amulet prize winner received a book of every model of Luang Poo Tim amulet from Raharn Rai Temple.
Officials pose for an opening photo at the start of the Pattaya Amulet Association’s show at the Eastern National Indoor Sports Stadium.
Somnuk said the exhibition aimed to promote the conservation of Buddhist arts and to give Pattaya residents, tourists and interested people a chance to learn about Buddhist beliefs, culture, and history.
The event also raised money for underprivileged children, military personnel in three troubled southern provinces, and charity works of the association.
Wuthinan said he was delighted and honored to take part in the exhibition, which has Buddhist artistic values as well as cultural, historical, power, and moral values.
It promotes the exchange of knowledge and opinions on Buddhism and Thai amulets of every period of time. It also promotes cultural tourism for Pattaya and raises standard of the amulet contest to be reliable and accepted, he said.
