Valod Palakawong's life was tough before he discovered the Jatukham Rammathep amulet. Each day he would rise before dawn and drag his sleepy young son and two adolescent daughters out of bed to go to caddy for the city's rich on one of Bangkok's many golf courses. The irrepressibly cheerful Mr Valod would joke with the golfers, hoping that his humour would earn him extra tips. After the 18th hole, Mr Valod's family would make their way to their small store where they sold fishing rods and tackle. Trade was slow, but Mr Valod didn't complain. There were others in Thailand whose lives were far worse.
But Mr Valod's prospects took a turn for the better when he bought his first Jatukham amulet just over
a year ago. He had resisted buying the charm, which hangs from a necklace and is now worn by many Thais, thinking it was just a fad - bling for Buddhists.
But he kept hearing friends and extended family that the Jatukham amulet, a circular medallion, had brought them luck or wealth. The media carried reports on how Thais wearing it had miraculously survived horrific car accidents or brutal muggings. Then there were claims that the Jatukham image had begun mysteriously to appear on the screens of digital cameras. Some police and army officers gave kudos to the amulet's powers by saying it stopped bullets.
The amulet's popularity soon spread among celebrities and movie stars who began presiding over Jatukham-making rituals. The hysteria surrounding the charm increased and in April resulted in a temple riot in the country's south among desperate Thais wanting to get their hands on the Jatukham. A 51-year-old woman was trampled to death in the chaos, dozens were injured and property was destroyed.
The incident did nothing to quell demand. Jatukham fever remains widespread in Thailand. Internet chat rooms are full of discussions about the powers of the charm, and on street corners across the country people can be seen huddled in groups, poring over full-page newspaper advertisements offering the amulet in different editions.