A friend in Thailand told me this story. We were sitting next to a noisy street in Bangkok and I recorded our conversation. The following is my translation (from Thai):
“Years ago, I’d never thought to revere Rama V. One day, my boss invited me to wai [a gesture of respect made with the hands] Rama V at the equestrian statue. At the time, I didn’t think anything. He invited me, so we went in his car, and he said, ‘If you ask for anything, you’ll get it.’ So I thought, well, I’m here, so I raised my hands, honored the statue—just pretending, just for fun—and I made a wish to win the lottery. I didn’t really think anything of it. I mean, I was thinking, it’s probably impossible, but maybe I could try, just try. And then I went back home and slept, and I had a dream that I was riding on the back of a friend’s motorcycle, and I saw three numbers. I woke up in a panic! I remembered the three numbers. I remembered and waited for the day that the lottery numbers would be announced. I wrote down the numbers: 4, 9, 8. So I took two: 9, 8 and 8, 9. My friend, the owner of the motorcycle, was 25 years old—so I took 25 and 52. That was it, 4 numbers, and I bought tickets, about 400 baht. Michael, do you believe it? I wrote down a list like that and hit the whole list! I won about 20,000 baht (around $600 US). My friend was startled. Death! I need to go back and wai! I’ve gotta go back again and wai! Because when I’d made the wish, I said, ‘If I win the lottery, I’ll buy 100 red roses and make an offering.’ It was a promise. So I got the money, and I went straight away to buy the roses—a hundred red roses—and then had my friend drive me [to the equestrian statue] to apologize, because it was just as I’d wished, but I’d been like, hey, is this really sacred, really powerful? Something like that. But he gave me what I asked for, and so ever since them I’ve believed in and respected him. I’d been suspicious: is this real? It’s like, well, it could have been a coincidence, but I think it really couldn’t be a coincidence to that extent. I went straight home, and then had a dream. I had a dream, and then bought lottery tickets, and then won the lottery—from 400 baht, I got 20,000 baht. So it was like, I’ve gotta hurry, buy roses, and ask forgiveness [literally, ask for punishment]. And since then, every year, at least once a year, I go to wai him at the plaza of the equestrian statue.
“Until about two years ago, I’d never had a stature of him to worship at the house. I’d already worshiped him for about 10 years. I went every year to the plaza to wai. Two years ago, my friend came to stay at my place. My friend slept, and dreamed that a horse came to stand on her chest. And she looked up, and it was Rama V! She was terrified! Usually she sleeps very soundly, so she was surprised. She couldn’t breathe, she was suffocating. In the morning, she scolded me: ‘I was calling your name last night—why didn’t you get up?’ And I said, when did you call my name? I didn’t hear anything. All I know is that you were tossing and turning. And she said, ‘That’s just it. I was dreaming. I called for help. Is there anything here in your room, anything hidden?’ No, I said, There’s nothing. ‘Listen,’ she said. ‘Last night I dreamed that Rama V stood on my chest. It was just like the equestrian statue.’ And so after that, I was scared. Death! He probably wants me to worship him here at the house. My friend was terrified, so she went to buy a statue of Rama V for me. And she bought fruit, baisee [an offering made of woven banana leaf], etc. And so, ever since then, I’ve worshiped Rama V in my house. I offer flowers, cigarettes, and liquor. But if it’s a Buddhist holy day, or a Thursday, then I don’t offer liquor, because it’s forbidden. But Rama V likes liquor. Whiskey! He likes to smoke cigars. The important things are: roses, cigarettes, and garlands. And every month I buy a baisee. And, you see, for anyone who is a merchant, it will be good to worship Rama V. He helps in matters of commerce, he brings prosperity. As you can see, in many shops there’s an image of Rama V. He’s sacred, very powerful!”
Note: Rama V, who reigned from 1868 to 1910, is one of the most revered kings in the Cakri Dynasty. He is widely remembered as a modernizer and as the king who saved Siam (now Thailand) from the “colony hunters.”