Wat Chedi Ai Khai

Wat Chedi (Ai Khai) (วัดเจดีย์ (ไอ้ไข่)), commonly known as Wat Chedi Ai Khai, is a Buddhist temple located in Chalong Subdistrict, Sichon District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. The temple’s name “Ai Khai” derives from a boy who accompanied the revered monk Luang Pu Thuat (หลวงปู่ทวด) on his journey from Songkhla Province to the Ayutthaya Kingdom.^[1]

Over the generations, the name “Ai Khai” has remained in common use. Though many devotees today are younger than the legendary boy himself, they continue to address him with this familiar name—reflecting the enduring affection and connection between the community and its guardian spirit.

During the late Ayutthaya period, the venerable Luang Pu Thuat, a monk of great spiritual power, journeyed to Ayutthaya and brought with him a boy aged around nine or ten to serve him. When they reached the present site of Wat Chedi, he stopped to meet a fellow monk named Khrua Thong, the abbot of the local monastery in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Records in the Pho Sadet area attest that Luang Pu Thuat once visited this sacred place.^[2]

Sensing the future sanctity of the location, Luang Pu Thuat instructed the boy:

“Stay here. This place will one day shine brightly and become a great center of the Dhamma.”

The boy promised to obey. Luang Pu Thuat entrusted him to Khrua Thong, and he became a temple boy at Wat Chedi, helping maintain the monastery.

In the Chronicles of Nakhon Si Thammarat, it is recorded that during the era of Chao Phraya Khun Mueang’s return, when he visited the town of “Along” (modern-day Chalong), he wrote:

“...We stayed one night in Along and paid respects to the abbot Khrua Thong, who had a mischievous disciple named Ai Khai, a temple boy...”

Though mischievous, the boy was believed to possess supernatural powers and often helped villagers in distress. He was sincere and brave, always keeping his promises even at great risk. It is said that if he caught the tail of a wild buffalo, it would become tame and obedient.

Later, realizing through spiritual awareness that his master Luang Pu Thuat was returning from Ayutthaya and fearing he might be taken away, the boy—bound by his vow to guard the temple—walked into the temple pond and ended his life. According to mystical belief, his spirit remained at Wat Chedi to protect it for eternity.

For centuries, the local community revered “Ai Khai, the temple boy” as a protective spirit without a clearly documented legend. This changed when the famed Nakhon Si Thammarat occultist Khun Phantharak Ratchadet encountered the story during the creation of Luang Pu Thuat amulets in 1954. Through a spiritual medium, Luang Pu Thuat asked Khun Phantharak if he knew his young disciple from the north of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Investigating, Khun Phantharak met Phu Yai Thieng Mueang In (ผู้ใหญ่เที่ยง เมืองอินทร์), a local master of occult arts, who confirmed knowledge of Ai Khai. This led Khun Phantharak to identify Ai Khai as the disciple of Luang Pu Thuat at Wat Chedi—thereby reviving the legend. Khun Phantharak is credited as the first person to rediscover and record this tradition.^[3]

Stories tell that villagers once saw a naked child spirit playing near the ancient Buddha image, referred to as “Phor Than Chao Wat.” Locals prayed to both Phor Than Chao Wat and the temple boy whenever they sought help—especially farmers and herders. When their cattle went missing, they would ask Ai Khai for assistance. At that time, the temple was still abandoned and overgrown, without any statue representing the spirit. When prayers were answered, people offered small flags and toy slingshots in gratitude.^[4]

Later, Phu Yai Thieng Mueang In—also known as “Thieng the Iron Bender” for his ability to bend metal with bare hands—carved the first wooden statue of Ai Khai from coral tree wood. However, as the wood decayed, the statue deteriorated. One night, Thieng dreamed of a naked boy asking, “Please carve a new image for me.” When asked who he was, the boy replied, “I am Ai Khai, the temple boy.” Inspired, Thieng carved a new statue from twin teakwood logs near the abandoned Wat Phra On, depicting a naked boy with his right fist raised to his chest and his left arm at his side.^[5]

He completed the carving in 1982 and consulted Phra Tham Thoem, the abbot, who suggested naming the spirit “Ai Khai.” A consecration ceremony was held to invite Ai Khai’s spirit into the new image during the blessing of the first Ai Khai amulets in 1983. The temple boy has since been known as “Ai Khai, the Temple Boy of Wat Chedi.”

From an abandoned monastery, Wat Chedi has become a thriving religious and cultural center—its revival credited to Ai Khai’s spiritual influence. Devotees believe Ai Khai grants wishes and protects the faithful regardless of class or status:

“If you ask, he will grant.”

This belief has transformed the temple into one of southern Thailand’s most visited pilgrimage sites, boosting the local economy and turning it into a major faith-based attraction in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Visitors bring offerings such as firecrackers and toy roosters, and the sound of explosions can be heard daily—seen as expressions of gratitude for granted wishes.^[6]

In 1983, Abbot Phra Tham Thoem created the first Ai Khai amulets while continuing temple renovations. At that time, a ranger company temporarily stationed its base at the temple. On their first night, soldiers reported being playfully harassed by an unseen child who tugged at their arms, knocked helmets, and shook gun racks. Villagers explained it was Ai Khai’s spirit and advised the soldiers to make offerings and share food with him. After doing so, the disturbances ceased. News of this incident spread, further popularizing Ai Khai’s legend.^[7]