Former PM Chawalit says fire at pray room causing 30 million baht in damage

[webfact]

Big Jiew says fire at pray room causing 30 million baht in damage



BANGKOK: -- Former premier Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said today that the fire at his home's pray room on Wednesday night caused damages estimated at about 30 million baht.

Speaking to reporters today at his home, Gen Chavalit said the fire at the pray room on the third floor kept rare Buddha amulets and images including the rarest “Somdej Wat Rakang” amulet.

He said the fire gutted more than 100 Buddha images and amulets including his Somdej Wat Rakang.

He regretted losing the rare amulet in the fire as it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past.

He said the cause of the fire might be from mice biting the electrical cord causing electrical short circuit.

Gen Chavalit said he is now too old to return to politics, adding he had retired from it.

Somdej Wat Rakang is the most rarest and sought after amulet among antique collectors and well-to-do businessman and high ranking government officials. The authentic amulet is valued at over 25 million baht.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/big-jiew-says-fire-at-pray-room-causing-30-million-baht-in-damage


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-16

[halloween]

Classic misunderstanding of the difference between price and value. I have to wonder if his insurance company will be happy to shell out B25 mill for an amulet allegedly destroyed in a fire.

Edited October 16, 2015 by halloween

[jaltsc]

"Former premier Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said today that the fire at his home's pray room on Wednesday night caused damages estimated at about 30 million baht."

How does someone on a military salary earn enough money that only one room in his house is worth 30 over million baht?

He should be sent to the farm regions to teach the poor farmers the proper prayers for prosperity. And they can teach him how to control his rodent problem.

Edited October 16, 2015 by jaltsc

[h90]

Classic misunderstanding of the difference between price and value. I have to wonder if his insurance company will be happy to shell out B25 mill for an amulet allegedly destroyed in a fire.

30 Millions aren't that much. There are amulets that cost 1.000.000 each from your trusted humble monk. But these have the grade A magic....

Maybe they can still be used or the magic transferred to a new amulet?

[zaphod reborn]

Must not have invested in one of those thar amulets of fire resistance +10. What a goofball!

[Pakaty]

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

[Somtamnication]

One heckuva prayer room!

[ezzra]

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

He's old enough to be in any of those battles...

• Mongol Conquests (1205–1312)
• Hundred Years' War (1337–1453)
• American Revolutionary War (1775–1782)
• Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815)
• American Civil War (1861–1865)
• World War I (1914–1918)
• World War II (1939–1945)

[speedtripler]

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

He must be talking about driving around town when The bangkok battles between the reds and yellows were ongoing...

[sfokevin]

So much Buddhism but very little dharma...

[cockatoowho]

Another delusional old fool who should be seen and not heard.

[speedtripler]

Wonder if the 30 million baht amulet was really destroyed in the fire and whether or not he's about to collect a huge insurance cheque?

[skildpadden]

He regretted losing the rare amulet in the fire as it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past.

Did he play Battlefield on Playstation, the PC version or on XBOX 360?

[clockman]

Which planet do these people live on, The only battle he has been in, is the battle to be first in the trough! Disgusting examples of everything bad.

[Ulic]

I smell a little Thai lightening insurance scam, we shall see if they pay or not.

[soalbundy]

yeah 30 million riiiiiight. He can't get his throat full enough, a typical example of a man who thinks he will live for ever. He looks like an evil miss piggy with glasses

[plachon]

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

He has a first rate record of sending lowly recruits into battle and losing their life en masse, such as on the Thai-Lao border in 1987-88 (Ban Rom Klao?), but I don't think he's ever seen too much frontline action himself.

Maybe he was referring to some of his political battles, which have been many, although the amulet didn't do much good about crashing the Thai economy under his watch as PM in 1997, which also cost him his job a few months later. But it has given him a Tefal coating in terms of immunity from prosecution it seems, even when his words/actions could be interpreted as bordering on incitement to revolt, as with one of the last Redshirt risings and his claim to have organised a force of armed resistance.

[graemeaylward]

"He said the cause of the fire might be from mice biting the electrical cord causing electrical short circuit.

Gen Chavalit said he is now too old to return to politics, adding he had retired from it."

Can anyone spot the connection between these 2 statements because I can't! I think he might have a short circuit with these ramblings :-)

[Artisi]

As I said in the other link regarding this story, a typical jewish-stocktake tactic with the goods over valued by a massive factor.

[NeilSA1]

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

Fields. He was talking about battle fields - not battles.

[Doc46]

What a bloody dreamer,,doesn't know the value of shit ,, )

[slapout]

I thought he was referring to the domistic homefront battlefield that his prized widget protected him from. Most of us admit to begging, pleading and ''promise to never do that again'' , if it took sometyhing with the value noted it must have been a bad transgression on his battlefield.

[tuanku]

Nicknamed Mr Timber because of his involvement with the logging industry and the consequent deforestation of S.E. Asia.

I feel sorry for the poor old man. As he says, he is now to old to "return to the feeding trough politics" which belongs to a new generation of surprisingly wealthy generals. I hope his insurance company will do the right thing, and i think his “Somdej Wat Rakang” may have gone to a better place.

[bangrak]

Classic misunderstanding of the difference between price and value. I have to wonder if his insurance company will be happy to shell out B25 mill for an amulet allegedly destroyed in a fire.

30 Millions aren't that much. There are amulets that cost 1.000.000 each from your trusted humble monk. But these have the grade A magic....

Maybe they can still be used or the magic transferred to a new amulet?

The point remaining how an army general becomes wealthy enough to stash up to 30millions in the private praying room of one of his houses...

[gchurch259]

General & Politician, loses 30 Million Baht. Guess I have been the wrong line of work and 26 years in the wrong military !!

[gandalf12]

Nicknamed Mr Timber because of his involvement with the logging industry and the consequent deforestation of S.E. Asia.

I feel sorry for the poor old man. As he says, he is now to old to "return to the feeding trough politics" which belongs to a new generation of surprisingly wealthy generals. I hope his insurance company will do the right thing, and i think his “Somdej Wat Rakang” may have gone to a better place.

Was it Karma?

[lvr181]

\

"it was the amulet that he had worn around his neck while going into five battle fields in the past"

What battles did I miss? Was he talking about a past life?

Fields. He was talking about battle fields - not battles.

Ah....the fields.

Brave man along with my cows in those same fields

My hero.

[springheeled jack]

30 million baht gone up in smoke and a rare amulet worth about 25 million baht that's a lot of money I wonder if he was insured it seems a bit odd to me he said he always wore the amulet that being the case why was it in the collection unless of course he wanted to include it in the valuation .

[asdecas]

Poor old Big Jiew, all those battlefields conquered and then finally the rats got him. Could almost be an allegory of life itself.

[sfokevin]

Ironically he is now closer to being enlightened...