Buriram: A devastating summer storm in Buriram has led to the collapse of a 13-meter-high statue mold of Luang Pu Suk Thammachoto, also known as Phra Khru Phawana Phimon, the former abbot of Wat Pho Sai Thong. The statue, located in Tambon Lahan Sai, Amphoe Lahan Sai, was constructed using PU foam and was estimated to suffer damage worth over 400,000 baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Phra Khru Siriphothithada Panyakomo, the abbot of Wat Pho Sai Thong, announced plans to dismantle and reconstruct the statue. The real version of the statue, currently in a foundry in Bangkok, is a brass model with a construction cost of 30 million baht, funded by relatives and devotees. The initial PU foam model, along with its dome, cost 400,000 baht, while the installation cost was 700,000 baht. The foundry team is expected to oversee the reinstallation process. The abbot emphasized that the incident was a result of a natural disaster, drawing parallels to the collapse of Phra That Phanom in the past.