CHIANG MAI: With the craze for Jatukam Ramathep amulets still going strong, stories of miraculous survivals from shootings, stabbings, automobile crashes and other seemingly-dangerous occasions are a fixture within the Thai press at the moment. On June 1, one lucky 14-year-old in Rayong appeared in the pages of Thai Rath newspaper after he was left with only a small bruise on his bottom after being shot by a rival. He and his father ascribed the miraculous occasion to the over-sized amulet he was carrying. Another latest case of supposed magical invulnerability involved a muay Thai teacher in Chiang Mai’s Chiang Dao District. In this case no Jatukam Ramathep amulet was invloved and the result was not quite so upbeat. Around midday on May 31 the trainer, Boonsong Khama, fifty two, was kneeling exterior his house conducting a ceremony to bless grains of rice, which he would give to his fighters to chew earlier than a fight. Known for his information of arts each magical and martial, K. Boonsong claimed that if punched or elbowed, his boys would be immune to cuts. Not desirous to ship his fighters into the ring with out being sure if his spells and incantations had worked, K. Boonsong decided to test the holy rice on himself first. He chewed a quantity of grains after which requested his girlfriend to come at him with a knife. His girlfriend, 23-year-old Lahu tribeswoman Nadoe Jakha, had full religion in her partner’s magical skills. Thus, she didn’t hold back, using a knife to slash him as quickly as in the head and three extra times to the body. Unfortunately, the knife did not bounce off as the pair had anticipated. Rather, it sliced fairly neatly through K. Boonsong’s flesh, leaving him screaming in agony on the bottom. Realizing what Off the record had carried out, K. Nadoe rushed him to hospital. The police officer in cost of the case, Lt Col Anek Chaiwong, an Investigating Officer at Chiang Dao District Police Station, said that K. Boonsong was in such severe situation that he had to be transferred to Nakhon Phim Hospital in Mae Rim District. His wounds required greater than 50 st