ABSTRACT
In June 2001, a police sergeant in Pattaya (central Thailand) was arrested and charged with attempted murder and grand theft. He was caught after he held up a sixty-one-year-old wealthy man who was wearing a Buddhist amulet around his neck. The off-duty police officer drew a concealed pistol and pulled the trigger twice. The gun jammed and the wealthy man took off on foot. The police officer was later identified and arrested. The small clay amulet, worth approximately eight million baht (240,000 USD), was recovered. This story is one of many that have made headlines in the past few years regarding amulet theft, assault, and even murder. In fact, there are hundreds of miracle stories such as this published in amulet collectors' magazines and related between friends in the amulet markets or while relaxing at monasteries. Some stories tell of people who were protected from house fires because of amulets. Others tell of those who have successfully passed entrance examinations, and others were cured of cancer.
