Luang Phor Yee (Luang Phor Yi / Ee)
Founder-Abbot of Wat Sattahip, Chonburi • Born October 1, 1865 — Passed September 20, 1946
Luang Phor Yee — widely remembered as Lp Yee, Lp Yi, or Lp Ee — was born on October 1, 1865 in rural Chonburi. From childhood he displayed a quiet devotion to the Buddha’s teaching, preferring contemplation and temple life to village pursuits. That inclination matured into vocation when, at age 25, he took ordination at Wat Ang Sila Nok. The years that followed were formative: under respected mentors such as Luang Phor Dang, Luang Phor Jun and Luang Phor Muen, he immersed himself in Dhamma, meditation, and the protective disciplines of wicha.
Practice for him meant patience and depth. He spent six rigorous years refining blessing rites and protective formulas, then continued advanced study with Luang Phor Parn of Wat Bang Hia, famed for tiger-iconography and ascetic power. Together they travelled forest paths throughout Thailand, living simply, training the mind, and tempering their methods in the silence of remote places. These long years on the road forged a monk of calm presence and practical compassion, at home among villagers and adepts alike.
In 1907, a turning point arrived. With support from his father — a respected local elder — Wat Sattahip was established in coastal Chonburi, and Luang Phor Yee became its first abbot. Under his care the new monastery grew into a trusted centre of instruction and refuge. His demeanor was mild, his discipline exacting, and pilgrims came in increasing numbers seeking guidance, blessings, and the strength to meet ordinary trials with steadiness.
Among his lasting contributions is his mastery of the Palakit amulet — a compact talisman traditionally crafted from wood, metal, or ivory. In his hands it became a well-spring of metta and protection, reputed to shield travellers, fortify livelihoods, and draw auspicious opportunity. Word of these blessings spread far beyond Chonburi. Craftsmen and monks visited to learn his consecration sequence, including Luang Phor Tee of Wat Hu Chang, who studied the intricacies of preparation, inscription, and ritual empowerment under the abbot’s close instruction.
Devotees preserved many stories of his gifts. One oft-told account recalls a Palakit that, after consecration, was set upon the water and appeared to move against the current, a marvel that villagers took as proof of a blessing fully alive. Another speaks of a white elephant vision seen during deep meditation — a sign in Thai tradition of high virtue and clear wisdom — after which the abbot redoubled his service to the poor and the troubled. Fishermen along the coast told of sudden storms stilled and safe returns, crediting the Palakit at their neck and the abbot’s name carried on the lips in prayer.
Through the decades he remained steady at Wat Sattahip, teaching humility, patience, and compassionate action as the natural fruit of meditation. On September 20, 1946, at the age of 82, he passed away, mourned by crowds who had come to know him not only as a maker of revered talismans but as a gentle guide in a changing world. Today the monastery he founded continues to welcome pilgrims, and his Palakit amulets are prized as much for their moral reminder as for their protection — a living thread that carries his calm, practical Dhamma into daily life.