Luang Pho Chuet (เชื้อ นิมฺมโล) — “God of Money & Gold” of Nakhon Pathom
Born 14 Jan BE 2481 (1938) — Passed BE 2561 (2018) • Hometown: Thammasala, Mueang Nakhon Pathom
Ordained novice BE 2504 (1961) at Wat Thammasala • Dhamma name: Nimmalo
At-a-Glance
- Lay name: Chuet Bangkaew — son of Mr. Am & Mrs. Noey Bangkaew; one of six siblings
- Education: Wat Thammasala School; Phra Pathom Wittayalai (Mathayom 6)
- Novice Ordination (2504): Preceptor PK Pachathiparihan (LP Choi), kammavācācariya PK Phawana Kittikun (LP Noi), anusāvana Ajahn Boonchuay
- Principal Teacher: LP Noi (Wat Phrom Maduea) — transmissions in inscriptions, spells, astrology, Thai medicine, and advanced meditation
- Reputation: Compassionate healer, widely sought for nammon (holy water) blessings and counsel
Early Life & Vocation
Born to a gardener family in Thammasala, the young Chuet was marked by steadiness and service. Schooling gave him discipline; the monastery gave him direction. In BE 2504 (1961) at Wat Thammasala he took novice robes and the name Nimmalo, beginning a vow to dedicate his life wholly to Buddhism.
Formation under LP Noi
His path tightened under the great Luang Pho Noi—famed for the “tiger-face” and “gourd-neck” amulets—who trained him deeply in meditation, sacred inscriptions (yant), ritual spells (wicha), astrology, and traditional Thai medicine. Few received this complete transmission; LP Chuet did, and wore it lightly, turning knowledge into quiet help for whomever came to his door.
Service, Blessings & Wider Circle
Through decades he became a refuge for local families and visiting devotees, Thai and international alike. Lines formed for holy-water blessings, amulet consecrations, and practical advice delivered with gentle humor. He moved easily among senior contemporaries—LP Toh (Wat Pradu Chimpli), LP Ngern (Wat Don Yai Hom), LP Tae (Wat Sam Ngam), LP Pae (Wat Pikulthong), LP Tim (Wat Lahan Rai)—while honoring his own teacher LP Noi (passed BE 2513/1970).
Founding Wat Pho Setthi Wanaram
In BE 2536 (1993) he opened Suan Patipat Dhamma Phothi Setthi, a meditation garden beneath a Bodhi tree in Bo Plap, Nakhon Pathom. What began as a humble practice ground grew—through donations of land and labor—into a full monastery formally recognized on 9 March BE 2558 (2015) as Wat Pho Setthi Wanaram. LP Chuet guided its architecture, led merit-making, and kept the atmosphere simple: practice first, structures second.
Character & Passing
Known as the “God of Money & Gold” not for spectacle but for steady mettā and practical blessings that seemed to lift people’s fortunes, he insisted that sacred objects work only when matched with virtue. He passed peacefully in BE 2561 (2018), aged 80. His garden-temple remains a living biography: austere, welcoming, and useful.