A Thai businessman was reportedly saved from a shooting at a restaurant in Bangkok yesterday (June 12) because the Buddhist amulet he was wearing blocked the bullet that entered his chest.
Officers from the Bang Khen police station received a call about a shooting at a restaurant on Phhongyuthin Road, Bang Khen District, Bangkok. When the officers arrived at the scene, they found chaos and blood on the tables and chairs.
The injured man has been identified as 50-year-old Pornchai. Police said the bullet hit the Buddhist amulet he was wearing, avoiding a direct hit in his chest. However, he was still injured by the gunshot.
Preliminary investigations showed that Pornchai was sitting at table 35 with friends and colleagues. The window behind them was smashed and two bullet casings were found nearby.
Police also recovered the damaged amulet from the ground with the bullet still inside. The amulet is engraved with the image of the late abbot of Wat Suwan in Nakhon Pathom.
Residents who believe in the amulet’s supernatural powers have shared stories of its legendary protective powers. One story is that the two gangs stopped fighting after they discovered that both sides were carrying amulets, and no one was injured in the previous fight.
In this case, the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a dispute over a real estate bidding project. A restaurant employee told police that Pornchai and his friends often met at the location to discuss real estate deals, including on the day of the shooting.
