Phor Than Yokhong (Phra Khru Aranyaphiwat)
Abbot of Wat Pa Salak Mai • Singhanakhon, Songkhla • B.E. 2470–Present (1927– )
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Phor Than Yokhong (Chanthapanyo), formally titled Phra Khru Aranyaphiwat, was born in B.E. 2470 (1927). In his eighty-seventh year (B.E. 2557) he was widely regarded as one of Songkhla’s most compassionate and steady monastic figures, presiding at Wat Pa Salak Mai in Ching Kho, Singhanakhon District. His life threads together the contemplative discipline of the southern forest tradition with hands-on service to community, students, and neighboring provinces.
Songkhla—once known as Mueang Satunpura and Mueang Singkhon—has a long Buddhist memory. In the modern era it nurtured revered masters whose names still carry weight: Phra Khru Thammakhosit (Kong Kokanutto) of Wat Thammakho; Phor Than Maha Loi Chanthasaro of Wat Laem Chak Pak Ro; and Phor Than Kaew of Wat Pratu Chai. Among these lineages, Phor Than Khong (Kong Kokanutto, born B.E. 2414) became renowned for astrology, esoteric rites, and traditional medicine; his first amulet series (B.E. 2498) remains highly prized in Songkhla. Phor Than Yokhong is remembered as a devoted disciple in this southern current.
When Yokhong took the abbacy of Wat Pa Salak Mai, the temple was fading. With patience and clear priorities he restored the grounds, re-established daily chanting and study, and fashioned the monastery into a small but lively center for practice. Invitations soon crossed provincial borders; he was frequently called to lead consecrations and major Buddha image rites both in Songkhla and in northern Malaysia. Amulets blessed under his guidance became sought after for their gentle protection and metta.
Equally visible has been his commitment to education. Each year he awards scholarships to local students and novices and founded the Phra Khru Aranyaphiwat Foundation to support monastic and youth education, linking the temple’s merit to concrete opportunity for families in Singhanakhon.
Those who meet him describe a soft-spoken, humble elder: accessible yet inwardly focused, precise in ritual yet generous with time, and consistently grounded in the Buddha’s teaching. In an age of spectacle, his influence has come from quiet continuity—rebuilt buildings, recurring ceremonies, and the steady encouragement of lay practice.
Today, Phor Than Yokhong remains an anchor of confidence for devotees across the South. His blessed objects are valued not merely as collectibles but as tokens of a living relationship: the blessing of a monk who pairs diligence in practice with kindness in community.