At a temple in Sing Buri about 150 kilometres north of Bangkok, worshippers carry buckets of water which they then pour into a sacred pond to fulfil their vows after their wishes have come true.
The pond has been a magnet luring people in droves to Wat Pho Kao Ton in the Central province's Bang Rachan district.
Water will be drawn from it today and sanctified for use in His Majesty the King's coronation on May 4, along with sacred water from 107 other sources in 77 provinces across the nation.
But prior to the official crowning of Rama X, the water will be delivered to Wat Suthat Thepwararam in Bangkok for an important blessing rite.
Like most people at Wat Pho Kao Ton, 62-year-old Sophon Saitip was lining up when the Bangkok Post visited to empty water from his vessel into the pond.
"I didn't make a vow," Mr Sophon said. "I came here after I heard the sacred water was being collected for His Majesty the King's coronation."
"I lost no time in telling my family and friends to join the water-pouring ritual," he said.
It will be used to anoint the monarch in a ceremony symbolising his full legitimacy and rule over the kingdom.
The coronation consists of several ceremonies spanning three days from May 4-6. However, the highlights will take place on the first day, with the consecrated water featuring as one of the most crucials element of the coronation ritual.
Wiang and Thong-in Makrood-in, a couple in their 70s, said they left their home in Suphan Buri in the early morning and travelled over 90km by motorbike to visit the temple and fulfill their vows.
Residents bring large containers with them to fetch the holy water from the pond for personal use. photos by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd
They said they had prayed to a statue of the late Phra Achan Thammachot, formerly the temple's senior monk, asking to contribute to the coronation ceremony by carrying clean water to the pond before it was collected and consecrated.
The couple made a wooden pole that can be placed on their shoulders, with a pail of water hanging on either side. This enabled them to make 19 trips to the pond to help fill it up with fresh water.
According to local folklore, the pond used to be a natural moat. It was then paved over with concrete and fenced off to keep children from harm.
The pond is considered one of the holiest water sources in Sing Buri.
Water was collected from it and used in the celebrations for King Rama IX's birthday on four occasions in 1987, 1999, 2007 and 2011.
Historical records show that water from Wat Pho Kao Ton was used by the Bang Rachan fighters who fended off Burmese invaders for months before they overran the Ayutthaya kingdom over 200 years ago.
The villagers of Bang Rachan, who were famous for their bravery, crafted amulets believed to give them the power to keep the invaders at bay. The amulets contained water from Wat Pho Kao Ton.
Teera Ngam-prasert, a 77-year-old local villager, said temple visitors commonly come to seek blessings and good fortune before the statue of Phra Achan Thammachot.
"In April, many young men arrive here to pray they don't get drafted into the military," said Mr Teera, referring to Thailand's annual conscription drive.
On weekdays, older people throng the temple grounds to fulfil their vows.
"I have no idea how they know about this place, possibly from word of mouth," Mr Teera said.
He said he had seen Wat Pho Kao Ton, also known as Wat Mai Daeng, expand from a small, little-known temple to the large and highly revered place of worship it is today.
The temple may be bigger nowadays but one thing has never changed -- the faith people have in Phra Achan Thammachot and the sacred pond, Mr Teera said.
Phra Achan Thammachot was ordained as a monk at Wat Derm Bang Nang Buad in nearby Suphan Buri province, according to Mr Teera.
When the war with the Burmese broke out during the late Ayutthaya period, one villager named Nai Muang invited the monk to lend his moral support to those stationed at the Bang Rachan village camp during the months-long offensive with the foreign army, he said.
Many people suffering from ailments and wounds from the war also came to ask the monk to sprinkle holy water on them, hoping for an instant cure. According to Mr Teera, the revered monk is known to have created the holy water supplied from the Wat Pho Kao Ton pond.
Mr Teera said streams of people head to the temple daily to perform the water-pouring ritual.
Many carry the water themselves. Others hire local hands and youngsters to help. "Locals get paid between three and five baht per trip," he noted.
Burmese troops conducted eight rounds of attack on Bang Rachan, and succeeded in sacking the village camp in 1766. Wat Mai Daeng was then deserted and left in ruins.
In 1941 during the Rattanakosin period, people settled around the temple and restored the monastery there.
Eight years later, local authorities ordered the temple to be rebuilt. But it was not until 19 years later that monks began to live there and it was renamed Wat Pho Kao Ton.
