The yellow card you see in many Thai amulet listings is the receipt the Thai Buddha Image Admiration Association (Samakom) issues when a piece passes its authentication. It is not the final certificate. The formal card, the "Certificate of Authenticity" with a photo of the amulet and two signatures, is issued afterwards for the same piece, under the same number. A yellow card therefore means "judged genuine, formal card to follow", not "uncertified".
What is the Samakom yellow card?
When a dealer submits an amulet to the association (สมาคมผู้นิยมพระเครื่องพระบูชาไทย, based in Nonthaburi), its examiners judge it. If it passes, the dealer is handed a small yellow slip on the spot, and the amulet goes back in a clear plastic box with a matching barcode sticker. The formal card is printed later; dealers usually collect it around a week afterwards.
What is printed on it
- แท้ (genuine) — a tick box. This is the verdict.
- มีซ่อม (repaired) — a second tick box, ticked only if the examiners found a repair.
- เลขที่ (number) — the submission number, e.g. 08295.
- ชื่อพระ (amulet name) — handwritten, often in short form, e.g. "ขุนแผน ลพ.สาคร" for a Luang Pho Sakorn Khun Paen.
- วันที่ (date) — the examination date in the Buddhist calendar.
- Barcode sticker — a code such as GJ08-5D703 next to the number. The same sticker is on the box holding the amulet.
Yellow card vs formal certificate
- Yellow card: a receipt slip, handwritten, no photo, issued the same day. It ties a verdict and a number to the box the amulet is in.
- Formal card (บัตรรับรองพระแท้): printed, with a photo of the actual piece, its category, full name, temple, province, issue date, and the signatures of the association's president and vice-president. Its barcode can be looked up on the association's website, samakomphra.com, under "ค้นหาใบรับรองพระแท้".
Both carry the same number and barcode. That is what lets you match the receipt, the box, the formal card and the amulet to each other.
Why our listings show the yellow card
Many of our pieces come from a partner dealer who submits newly sourced amulets to the association. The photos are taken while the formal card is still being printed, so the yellow card is the most recent document available. In these listings we say so plainly: the photo shows the yellow card, and the buyer receives the formal association card with the amulet. The number and barcode are written in each listing's authenticity field so you can match them yourself. Examples: Luang Pho Sakorn Khun Paen, no. 08295, Luang Phor Khun portrait coin, no. 08286, Luang Pu Toh sema coin, no. 11002.
Where the formal card already exists, we show it instead, as with this Luang Pho Sothon Phra Kring.
How to read a yellow card in a seller's photo
- Check that แท้ is ticked. An unticked box is not a pass.
- Check whether มีซ่อม is ticked. A repaired piece can still be genuine, but it should be priced as repaired.
- Match the number and barcode on the card with the sticker on the box, and the box with the amulet in the photo.
- Read the handwritten name. It is brief, but it should match the master and type the seller describes.
- When the formal card arrives, look its barcode up on samakomphra.com and compare the photo with your piece.
For the formal card in more depth, see What Is a Samakom Phra Certificate?. For pieces with no paperwork at all, see Should you buy a Thai amulet without a certificate?
Frequently asked questions
Is a yellow card the same as being certified?
It records that the piece passed authentication. The certificate in the full sense is the formal card issued afterwards under the same number.
Can I verify a yellow card online?
The online lookup works with the formal card's barcode. Keep the yellow card number and barcode so you can match them to the formal card when it arrives.
Why is the amulet name handwritten and so short?
The yellow card is filled in at the counter. The full name, temple and province appear on the formal card.
Do I receive the yellow card or the formal card?
For our listings that show a yellow card, the formal association card ships with the amulet.
Last updated: 2026-10-31 | Merit Messenger team, Bangkok
