On August 14, 2026, Pot Tha Phra Chan (พจน์ ท่าพระจันทร์), a well-known amulet appraiser at Bangkok's Tha Phra Chan amulet market, resolved a public dispute over an allegedly swapped Luang Phor Tim (หลวงปู่ทิม) gold commemorative coin by buying the disputed piece from its owner for 9 million baht (roughly $250,000). The staff member responsible was suspended, and the customer confirmed she is not pursuing the matter further.
From "Gold to Brass": How the Dispute Started
According to multiple Thai outlets, a woman in her sixties brought 14 amulets to Pot's shop at Tha Phra Chan — Bangkok's oldest amulet market, near Wat Mahathat — for authentication and pricing, with the full set valued at roughly 2.5 million baht. The centerpiece was a rare enamel-and-gold "8 Rob" (eighth 12-year cycle) commemorative coin honoring the 80th birthday of Luang Phor Tim, the revered late abbot of Wat Lahan Rai (วัดละหารไร่) in Rayong province and one of the most collected monks in Thai amulet history. During testing, staff opened the coin's casing to check gold purity. Because the shop was crowded with customers that day, the coin was reportedly set aside and mixed up; when it was returned, the owner found it had apparently changed from gold to a base-metal alloy, sparking accusations of a swap that spread quickly across Thailand's amulet community. Senior appraiser Pong Suphan (ป๋อง สุพรรณ) publicly raised questions about the discrepancy, citing information from a third party who had previously cared for the coin — a move that briefly drew him into the controversy as well, requiring his own clarification that he was not a direct party to the deal.
Pot's Response and the Settlement
In a tearful livestream, Pot admitted the incident was caused by a staff mistake rather than intentional fraud, apologized directly to the customer, suspended the employee involved from the first day the story broke, and revised internal handling and verification procedures. After negotiation, Pot agreed to purchase the disputed coin outright for 9 million baht — more than triple the original combined estimate for all 14 pieces, underscoring just how valuable a verified Luang Phor Tim 8 Rob gold coin can be. The customer said she was satisfied and would not pursue the matter further, and longtime clients and industry peers have reportedly continued visiting the shop as before.
- Date: dispute went public August 13, 2026; settled August 14, 2026
- Location: Tha Phra Chan amulet market, Bangkok
- Disputed item: Luang Phor Tim 8 Rob gold commemorative coin
- Settlement: 9 million baht (about $250,000)
What This Means for Overseas Collectors
The episode is a reminder that risk exists at every handoff point when submitting high-value amulets for grading — even with a reputable, well-known dealer. Collectors sending valuable pieces for authentication or resale should insist on photo and video documentation at each step, and seek an independent second opinion through a recognized certification body such as Samakom Phra rather than relying on a single appraiser's word. For coins and amulets tied to top-tier lineages like Luang Phor Tim, it's worth studying the history and authentication points behind his most sought-after pieces before committing serious money. This case also follows an earlier report on the same coin dispute while it remained unresolved, giving readers the fuller arc of how it played out — and another reminder that documentation matters as much as reputation in cross-border amulet deals.
Source: thaitv5hd.com