Luang Phor Klai (Thai: พ่อท่านคล้าย วาจาสิทธิ์), reverently known in the south as Por Than Klai, was among the most revered masters of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in southern Thailand. Famed for his "words of truth" (wajasit) — whatever he spoke came to pass — he was honoured as the "Golden Mouth Monk", and his blessings hold a most exalted place in the faith of the Thai south.
Origins and Early Years
Luang Phor Klai was born in March B.E. 2419 (1876) in Chang Klang District, Nakhon Si Thammarat, his lay name being Klai Sinil. It is said that at the age of fourteen, while gathering firewood with his uncle, a falling tree shattered his left leg, leaving him lame and reliant on his water buffalo to travel — an episode of his youth often recounted by devotees as a testament to his fortitude.
Ordination and Abbotship
Luang Phor Klai was ordained as a novice in B.E. 2438, at the age of nineteen, at Wat Chandhi (Wat That Noi), and received full ordination the following year at Wat Wang Muang. He then studied the Dhamma and esoteric arts under various masters throughout Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani. In B.E. 2448 he became abbot of Wat Suan Khan, and later, in B.E. 2500, also abbot of Wat That Noi, teaching the Dhamma and accumulating great merit.
The Legend of the "Golden Mouth"
Luang Phor Klai was honoured as the "Golden Mouth Monk", for it is said that whatever he uttered would surely come true, his blessings and predictions alike proving remarkably accurate. In time, grieved that misfortunes he had foretold should come to pass, he kept a vow of silence for many years out of compassion — a legend of "words that come true" still widely told throughout the Thai south.
Passing and Meaning
Luang Phor Klai passed away peacefully late on the night of 5 December B.E. 2513 (1970), at over ninety years of age. It is said that his body remains incorrupt to this day, enshrined at Wat That Noi, where devotees come to pay homage without cease. His sacred objects signify words that come true, blessing and protection, and safe and smooth fortune, and are treasured by devotees of the south and by amulet collectors. They are honoured with a righteous heart and proper devotion.