Hot water spring found under statue at Wat Suan Kaew Uthayan

Hot water has been discovered bubbling up from beneath the base of a statue at Wat Suan Kaew Uthayan in Samut Songkhram.

The statue, Tao Wessuwan, a deity figure standing 2.5 metres tall, is situated next to the temple’s main hall. Concerns initially arose that the heat might be due to an electrical short circuit. However, after digging approximately 50 centimetres into the concrete, no electrical wires were found, only clear, odourless hot water.

Phra Kru Rattanavisutthiwat, the abbot, initially feared an underground electrical issue. To investigate, he instructed workers to drill into the concrete. Upon reaching a depth of 50 centimetres, they found the hot water springing from beneath the statue, with no sign of electrical cables. Locals, curious about the discovery, tested the water with their hands and found no electrical current. Instead, they began using the water to soak their hands and feet, finding it both relaxing and auspicious.

Suwaroj Tiratanajarenwong, a local, confirmed the water’s warmth after visiting the site. Unlike boiled water, which cools quickly, this hot water retained its temperature for a long time, providing a tingling sensation, likely due to mineral content. Further checks indicated that the water was indeed flowing from the base of the Tao Wessuwan statue, which was constructed by Phra Kru Sophitwiriya Phon, or Luang Pho It, the abbot of Wat Chulamanee, in 2012. Suwaroj urged others to visit Wat Suan Kaew to witness this phenomenon.