STORY OF JATUKAM - ONE VERSION

Over the doorway at the entrance of Phra Mahathad Voramahaviharn Temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat, there are the statutes of Tao Kadtukam and Tao Ramathep, the guardian gods of holy relics of Lord Buddha. The name of one god is Tao Kadtukam which later people understand that it is Jatukam.
There are many stories related to Jatukam -Ramathep, and different versions of each story. One story tells of Pol Maj Gen Sanpetch Thammikul, the provincial police chief during the 1980s, going to Nang Phraya temple during a shamanistic ritual. The medium, a woman, told the policeman to come back. When he did come back later the woman wasn't there, but had been replaced by a new medium claiming to be the spirit of the military leader for the B.E. 17th century Nakhon Si Thammarat king.

The policeman came a third time, and the second medium claimed to be yet another spirit - Jatukam, who instructed him to lead the construction of a city pillar. However, the spirit advised him that first he should consult with Pol Maj Gen Khun Pantarakrachadej, who was thought to have magic powers. This is believed by some to be the reason why Jatukam-Ramathep was chosen to be a model for the amulet images when the campaign to raise funds for the city pillar was launched.
The city pillar was partly completed in 1987.

The original talismans were made in 1986. It was circular pendant a five-centimetres in diameter, and was priced at 49 baht. Now many are sold for more than 100,000 baht each.

In the past years only very few Jatukam talismans were produced, but after Pol Maj Gen Khun Pantarakrachadej passed away last year at the age of 103 (some say 108), the talismans again became very popular. It may be significant that his death on September 5 was just two weeks before the coup d'etat in Bangkok.
Since the royal cremation ceremony of Khun Pan last February, the Jatukam has become even more popular.