Ajarn Thiang, Ban Mee Dee — Khanom Pia Yant Sacred Photograph

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From the legends of Kru Yu’s life on the water and the custom of offering pastries to honor one’s teacher to Ajarn Pong’s continuation of the tradition, this is the story of the Ban Mee Dee lineage and the Khanom Pia Yant. Ban Mee Dee (บ้านมีดี), in Bangkok, is a lay ritual-master tradition closely associated with Ajarn Thiang (อาจารย์เที่ยง น่วมมานา), also known as Phor Thiang. The term “white-robed ajarn,” used in Chinese-speaking amulet circles, refers here to a lay teacher who practices and transmits magical arts, not a monastic title. The Man and His Times According to biographies, Ajarn Thiang was born on 2 April (4), BE 2455 (1912 CE). As a youth, he studied Thai, Khmer script and carpentry. He died in BE 2531 (1988 CE). His followers record his father’s name as โม่ and his mother’s as แมว. He was born near วัดราชบพิธ in Bangkok and spent his childhood around บ้านขมิ้น. His mother originally lived in บางอ้อยช้าง, moving from gardening to trading at ตลาดวัดทอง on the banks of คลองบางกอกน้อย. The family later settled in บ้านบุ. In magical-practice circles, Ajarn Thiang is respectfully described as “one of the four great white-robed ajarns of the BE 2500s.” The Ban Mee Dee tradition encompasses more than one practice. The Khanom Pia Yant is its best-known practice, while other teachings are associated with different teachers. The Name of the Khanom Pia Yant and Offerings to Honor the Teacher “Khanom Pia Yant” corresponds to ยันต์ขนมเปี๊ยะ, and the associated practice is also called วิชาขนมเปี๊ยะ. ขนมเปี๊ยะ is the name of a Chinese-style pastry. According to tradition, Kru Yu, who taught this practice, enjoyed tea with pastries. Pastries subsequently became an offering presented when formally becoming a disciple, giving both the practice and the yant their name. According to these accounts, in gratitude to his teacher, Ajarn Thiang required disciples seeking instruction, blessings or a tattoo of this yant to prepare pastries. After the ceremony, these would be given away as alms, with merit dedicated to the lineage’s teachers. Kru Yu and the Lineage on the Water The story of Kru Yu (ครูอยู่ เรือลอย) is connected with the Prince of Chumphon and Luang Pu Suk. Tradition says that he attended the Prince of Chumphon and accompanied him to Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao (วัดปากคลองมะขามเฒ่า) to visit Luang Pu Suk and study magical arts. He later lived on a boat for many years. This lineage passed from Luang Pu Suk through Kru Yu to Ajarn Thiang; Kru Yu was therefore Ajarn Thiang’s direct teacher in the Khanom Pia practice. In these stories, Kru Yu is portrayed as a forthright, generous-spirited man skilled in traditional Muay Thai, traditional weapons and protective magic, who made a boat his home for many years. When Ajarn Thiang first sought instruction, he was not immediately taught every practice. Only after a long period of attending his teacher and undergoing tests did he gradually gain his trust and receive his teachings. The Boat-Shooting Legend and Its Different Versions A gun-testing story reflecting Kru Yu’s character circulates within the Ban Mee Dee tradition. It is said that he blessed pastries with protective incantations and had his disciple eat them. He then deliberately dropped a coin or told the disciple to turn around to fetch money. As the disciple bent down or turned his back, Kru Yu drew a concealed gun from his sarong and shot him in the back. In the story, the impact knocked the disciple forward. Still shaken, he got up and checked himself, finding only red swelling and bruises on his back, with no bullet penetration. Kru Yu laughed and said, “Your skin is serviceable enough—just a little better than a dog’s!” Another circulating version describes a test with a razor, without mentioning a dropped coin, a shot in the back or bruising. Beliefs About Protection and Personal Appeal Beliefs surrounding the Khanom Pia Yant mainly concern three areas: protection, avoidance of danger, and personal appeal and standing. “คงกระพัน,” or khong kraphan, refers to the belief in invulnerability to blades and bullets; Chinese-speaking circles also use the phonetic rendering “公加班.” “มหาอุด,” or maha ut, is commonly explained as magic that prevents firearms from firing and is also rendered phonetically as “馬吓嗚.” Although often mentioned together in stories, the two refer to different things. Devotees believe that the Khanom Pia Yant can offer protection in times of danger and help avert misfortune. They also hope it will enhance personal appeal and standing, bringing trust, support and assistance from helpful people in social dealings and business negotiations. Teachers and Documented Disciples The direct teacher associated with the Khanom Pia practice is Kru Yu. Luang Pu Suk stands further upstream in the lineage as recounted in later stories. Other biographies also mention teachers including ครูชิด, ครูแฉ่ง and Luang Pu Thong of Wat Ratchayotha (หลวงปู่ทอง วัดราชโยธา). Ajarn Pong (อาจารย์ป่อง), whose personal name is บุญธรรม น่วมมานา, is Ajarn Thiang’s son and successor in the tradition. Another named disciple is หลวงปู่เปลว, also known as จรูญ กตปุญฺโญ, of วัดเจ็ดลูกเนิน in Ban Khai District, Rayong Province. Biographies list him as one of the monastic disciples who became close to Ajarn Thiang early on. He studied both protective and personal-appeal forms of sak yant and was also familiar with his teacher’s life. A 2025 report on the family lineage additionally records that Ajarn Somboon (อาจารย์สมบูรณ์ น่วมมานา) is Ajarn Pong’s younger brother. Both are sons of Ajarn Thiang and studied his practices with him from childhood. The article records only the family transmission, without individually listing the teachings they received. Another biographical account states that this disciple formally became a student in BE 2504 (1961 CE) and studied for twelve years in total. Ajarn Thiang offered him a sak yant needle, hoping that he would pass on the tattooing practice. However, he did not accept it because he personally disliked tattooing and was concerned about whether it was appropriate for a monk. Biographies associate different practices with different teachers: ครูชิด is connected with the meditation lineage, ครูแฉ่ง with the Front Palace lotus yant, and ครูด้วง with the copper-pig sak yant. There is also an account of an unusual encounter in a Kanchanaburi forest during his search for teachers. According to tradition, Ajarn Thiang met เฒ่าเสือขบ, an elderly man who could transform into a tiger to hunt for food. After returning home, the man would regain human form only when his wife sprinkled him with the consecrated water he had prepared. Ajarn Thiang wanted to take part in an herbal bath conducted by the elderly man, but after asking whether he had been ordained, the man politely refused, explaining that he accepted only those who had been ordained. Ajarn Thiang therefore did not participate in this ritual. Later Commemorative Activities and Charitable Work On 5 November (11), BE 2563 (2020 CE), Ajarn Pong took part in the “มีดี บารมีพ่อเที่ยง” sacred-object ceremony commemorating his father. Reports stated that the proceeds were intended to purchase medical equipment for hospitals across six districts of Samut Prakan Province. The event was organized by the Samut Prakan Amulet Association and held at the Ban Mee Dee premises in the บ้านบุ area of Bangkok Noi District, Bangkok. Nine monks chanted, while Ajarn Pong recited incantations and bestowed blessings according to the practices passed down by his father. After the ceremony, lunch was offered to the monks, and commemorative sacred objects were distributed to those attending. Yants on the Backs of Photographs and Questions to Ask When Collecting In collecting circles, sacred objects consisting of photographs of Ajarn Thiang with handwritten Khanom Pia Yants on the reverse can be found. Some are attributed to Ajarn Thiang himself and others to Ajarn Pong. The person shown in the photograph and the person who wrote the yant on the reverse are not necessarily the same; the two must be identified separately. At least four questions should be considered separately for these objects: when the photograph was printed, when the yant was added, who wrote it, and when and by whom it was blessed. A yant may have been added to an old photograph at a later date. Nor can a commemorative item blessed by a successor therefore be described as personally made by Ajarn Thiang during his lifetime. Handwriting, the condition of the ink and paper, collection and ownership history, and traceable comparative examples should all be examined together. Modern works likewise cannot be judged solely on handwriting, and yellowing or simply “looking very old” certainly cannot guarantee authenticity. Names Used in Chinese-Speaking Circles Chinese-speaking amulet circles use names including “阿贊廳,” “普廳” and “婆廳,” and sometimes write “廰” instead of “廳.” Ajarn Pong is his son. The yants on the backs of their photographs, the years of blessing and the attribution of their works differ and should be distinguished.