Dhamma Path Blog: Visiting Wat SamPhanThaWongSaram (Wat Ko) ~ Shrine & Museum Mae Chee Boon Ruen - Bangkok

Monday, August 25, 2025

Visiting Wat SamPhanThaWongSaram (Wat Ko) ~ Shrine & Museum Mae Chee Boon Ruen - Bangkok - Thailand (Part 1/2).

Wat SamPhanThaWong (full name is Wat Samphanthawongsaram Worawihan) often referred to as Wat Koh, is a captivating Buddhist temple situated in the vibrant district of Samphanthawong, not far away from the vibrant streets of Chinatown. Inside this temple, you’ll also have the chance to pay your respects to an iconic figure in Thai Buddhism. The temple houses the statue of Mae Chee Boon Ruen Tongboonterm, a Thai Buddhist female nun whose life and teachings have left a lasting legacy. In this part 1/2, we sharing this Shrine and Museum of Mae Chee Boon Ruen.

Garden with altar for Hermit Lersi and Phra Nak Prok statues at front side of the Museum building. In this small wooden building (2 storey) as a shrine & museum. This space is a treasure trove of historical sacred objects, religious relics, and incredible art pieces.

Mae Chee Boon Reun was born in 4th March BE2437 and passed away in 7th September bE2507 at the age of 70 years old. She was a very close disciple of Lp Sod Wat Paknam where she learnt the way of meditation till a very high level. She first started off learning meditation at 15 years old under her uncle who is LP Prink Wat Bangpakod. She later got married to a police sergeant but did not stop her practice of meditation. After marriage she often went to Wat SamPanTaWong to meditate because she felt very peaceful there and even encourage her husband to ordain as a monk there. When her husband retired, she decided to ordain herself as a nun. She then resided in a house where it is named as Baan Samnak Kisut. In this samnak, Mae Chee Boon Reun practiced and taught meditation to anybody who came. She also had many people queuing at her doorstep everyday because of her healing powers. She later moved to Rayong for one year to continue meditation before coming back to reside in Wat Awut Wikasitaram until she passed on.

Photo taken in front altar enshrined with Mae Chee Boon Ruen statues. Mae Chee Boon Ruen is Thailand’s most respected and highly revered Buddhist Nun and is the most famous for having made amulets that have risen to popularity and possess powers that are equal to all her male ordained counterpart practitioners. This speaks for itself to show just how well and hard this great Buddhist Nun practiced and how much prowess she possessed with Wicha Akom, Spiritual Healing, Meditation and Buddhist Dhamma teachings. Mae Chee Boon Ruen was a Buddhist Nun whose purity of practice was so exemplary that she became a Buddhist master in her own right in Thailand Theravada tradition. This is highly unusual and a difficult task to achieve in a Tradition where women are not permitted to ordain as a Bhikkhuni and must remain in white as a Karavasa Holder of Precepts. Despite these disadvantages, her great practices Metta (Compassion), her teachings and Charitable Works for Buddhism brought her to become the most highly beloved Buddhist Nun in the History of Thai Buddhism.

Another statues of Mae Chee Boon Ruen and Phra Buddha.

Have new batch statues Mae Chee Boon Ruen from Wat SamPhanThaWong.

Amulet counter inside the Museum building.

Display with Mae Chee Boon Ruen portraits, pictures for event and ceremonies in the past and also the Bhikkhuni Robe belong to Mae Chee Boon Ruen. Another important Clay Jar of miraculous the Water Dispenser 'storage jar' belong to Mae Chee Boon Ruen. During a time of severe drought, Mae Chee Boon Ruen fervently prayed for rain, and soon after, rainfall blessed the region. The clay jar became full with rainwater, which had been used to store rainwater, became known among devotees as miraculous, a testament to her deep spiritual connection and the faith she inspired.