Help with translation of Thai writing on some amulets.

[Cittaviveka]

Does anyone know what the writing says on these amulets? http://i.imgur.com/xG7xl.jpg

Also, any info about the symbols and shapes on the back would be great. Anybody know of a good resource for learning about things like this? I haven't been able to find anything useful by myself.

Thanks very much.

[Cittasanto]

have you looked at tattoos?
there was a thread a while ago on similar symbols so I will find it for you

edit - cant see the specific thread I was looking for but hope someone can help you more and I will try again later

[Cittaviveka]

Thanks for the tip. I've found quite a lot of info on tattoos with similar designs, Sak Yants. But I haven't found these particular designs or if they have any meaning.

It's the writing I'm interested in mostly. Hopefully someone who can read it will be willing to help.

[Cittaviveka]

Got an update - I've spent all afternoon trying to translate two of them myself (numbers 3 and 4 in the picture) by typing out each character in Thai unicode to see if the internet could translate it. Had some funny results! Here is my attempt at typing out the Thai characters on number 3:

กองทุนการศึกษาพร:ปริยัติธรรม
ว้ดสว้สดิวาริลิมาราม(แคสามเสบ)เขดตูสิดกทม

And here is what google translate thinks it says:

Scholarship Fund at: Scripture.
Quaid's new video Warin Lima RAM (only three of the lines) into a door in Bangkok.


The symbol in the middle looks like it could be very stylistic writing but I haven't got a clue about how to type that out. I think I've had more success with number 4:

พระเจ้าล้านตอง

รุ่น๓
พ.ค.๒๕๔๖

Google translated:

God, millions of locations.

Version 3.
May 2546.

At least this one makes some sense! Not sure what ''God, millions of locations'' means, but if I google พระเจ้าล้านตอง it comes up with lots of images of amulets very similar to number 4 so I must have typed it out right. Then again maybe google translate isn't doing a very good job of translating it. The last two lines make sense. The symbols inside the square pattern don't seem to be Thai characters, not any that I've come across in the unicode any way.

I might have a crack at numbers 1 and 2 later or tomorrow if I can't find anyone who can read Thai.
Again, if anyone can read Thai (especially in a Buddhist context) and could read these few words for me it would be greatly appreciated. You'd be saving me from another afternoon of squinting at unfamiliar characters and failure!

[Sylvester]

Hi

The yant on the reverse of amulet #3 is known as the "yant namobuddhaya" (Homage to 5 Buddhas). Each of the Khmer alphabets render "na", "mo", "bud", "dha" and "ya".

The yant on amulet #1 also starts with "na", so it might be a variant of the "namobuddhaya" yant. It's quite popular as a yant.

[Sylvester]

Just enlarged picture #1.

Yup, all the 5 khmer letters also read "namobuddhaya".

I've just managed to get your พระเจ้าล้านตอง translated.

It's Phra Chao Lan Thong, the name of an ancient Buddha statue consecrated in the late 15th century in Lanna.

Phra Chao being a Thai honorific for Buddhas as well as royalty.
Lan = a million
Thong = old Lanna currency.

The statue is supposed to have been cast using 1,200 kg of 'gold', and it took a million Thong to purchase the gold. Thus the name.