Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
25 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
26 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
26 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
26 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Thailand Ko Samui Mummy of Luang Pho Dang

Mummy of Luang Pho Dang

Self-mummified monk who wears sunglasses and has become a gecko hatchery.

Ko Samui, Thailand

Added By
Allison Meier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Luang Pho Dang   kai-uwe.fischer/Wikimedia
Luang Pho Dang   kai-uwe.fischer/Wikimedia
Wat Khunaram Temple   Karen Green/Flickr
The well-preserved body, left meditating. Spare changes of robes are kept beside the glass.   Polly Allen (http://travellingcalaver.com)
A closer look at the mummified monk, Luang Pho Dang.   Polly Allen (http://travellingcalavera.com)
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

After he died at 79 years old while meditating, the Buddhist monk Luang Pho Dang was closed in a glass coffin and left in his mudra pose with his legs folded, lotus style. Over 20 years later, his body remains incredibly well-preserved.

In death, the self-mummified monk is housed in the charming Thai town temple of Wat Khunaram on Ko Samui Island in Thailand. Monks at the temple put sunglasses over the mummy’s sunken, empty sockets in order to make him less disturbing to visiting children and others who come to pay their respects.

Radiographs of the mummy have revealed that he still wears his dentures and that in death he has become a hatchery for a native gecko species. The lizards lay eggs in his body cavities, beneath his leathery skin. His brain tissue and organ systems are remarkably intact, although small in size due to dehydration.

Related Tags

Mummies Relics Self Mummified Memento Mori

Know Before You Go

South of Route 4169 between Th Ban Thurian and Th Ban Hua.

Community Contributors

Added By

Allison

Edited By

pollytravellingcalavera, randyfix2, Lee Scott

  • pollytravellingcalavera
  • randyfix2
  • Lee Scott

Published

November 15, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Paleoimaging: Field Applications for Cultural Remains and Artifacts: http://books.google.com/books?id=0GzTIYzk5IUC
  • Thailand's Islands & Beaches: http://books.google.com/books?id=8SA8vgY0dNYC
  • Frommer's Thailand: http://books.google.com/books?id=TpOukSVMIGYC
Mummy of Luang Pho Dang
Wat Khunaram
Ko Samui, 84140
Thailand
9.449686, 100.000588
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks (Hin Ta Hin Yai)

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Secret Buddha Garden

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple)

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ko Samui

Ko Samui

Thailand

Places 5

Nearby Places

Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks (Hin Ta Hin Yai)

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Secret Buddha Garden

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Wat Phra Yai (Big Buddha Temple)

Ko Samui, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ko Samui

Ko Samui

Thailand

Places 5

Related Stories and Lists

The Wide, Strange World of Modern Mummification

mummies

By Sarah Brumble

Related Places

  • Stonington, Connecticut

    Severed Arm of Saint Edmund

    How did the right arm of a 13th-century English bishop wind up in a Connecticut church?

  • Gue, India

    Mummy of Sangha Tenzin

    Buddhist monk remarkably preserved because he started the mummification process while still living.

  • Silver casket containing the relics of St. Spyridon

    Corfu, Greece

    Church of St. Spyridon

    This Greek Orthodox church houses the mummified body of St. Spyridon.

  • Santa Caterina del Sasso

    Leggiuno, Italy

    Santa Caterina del Sasso

    This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

  • Rome, Italy

    Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

    At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

  • Nazca culture mummies and skulls cemetry in Peru

    Nazca, Peru

    Chauchilla Cemetery

    Plundered and left asunder by grave robbers, this ancient necropolis has been painstakingly pieced back together.

  • Relics of a mummified child

    Munich, Germany

    The Relics of Munich Residenz

    This magnificent museum claims to house the cranium of a disciple and the skull of a pope.

  • The Head of St. John the Baptist in 2001.

    Amiens, France

    The Head of St. John the Baptist at Amiens Cathedral

    The encased skull that is widely believed to belong to St. John the Baptist.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.