Khon kaen: The house of Phra Alongkot, a respected local figure, has been discovered in the Mueang District of Khon Kaen Province.
According to Thai News Agency, the residence was identified as a government official’s home for the Department of Highways. Villagers have expressed shock and sympathy upon learning this news, as they had always known Phra Alongkot as a kind-hearted individual who returned annually to distribute money.
The investigation into Phra Alongkot’s background revealed that he was born in Khon Kaen Province, with his registered address linked to an official residence. Further inquiries uncovered that his father, known locally as Father Choey or Phra George, was well-regarded in the community for his positive contributions, such as making kites for neighborhood children. Phra Alongkot was known to visit annually on his birthday, providing alms and scholarships at Kaen Nakhon School, where he once studied.
Phra Alongkot’s familial ties remain in the area, with his sister operating a rice and curry business nearby. Despite the family having relocated after retirement, the original house remains uninhabited. Phra Alongkot, who left home around 1984, regularly returned to make merit and support local education initiatives, drawing crowds of relatives and devotees.
His time at Kaen Nakhon School was marked by participation in football and a reputation for kindness. Though his real name was recently revealed through news reports, the community’s memories of him are fond. Journalists visiting his former residence, accompanied by local leaders, found it abandoned, with old mail addressed to his sister still present.
The house’s connection to the Highway Department stems from the employment of both Father Choey and Phra Alongkot’s brother-in-law there. The community fondly recalls Father Choey, who passed away three decades ago.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant fundraising effort led by a Khon Kaen University lecturer raised over 500,000 baht for a temple offering at Wat Phra Bat Nam Phu, where Phra Alongkot served as abbot. His sister was noted for her contributions to the temple’s kitchen. Every May, coinciding with Songkran and his birthday, Phra Alongkot would return home, organizing food offerings and distributing 1,000 baht to elderly villagers as part of the celebrations.