Ai Khai (ไอ้ไข่)

Thai. ‘Damn Egg’. Name of a young boy, who in iconography is often depicted similar to and thus reminiscent of Kumaanthong, yet Ai Khai is often depicted wearing dark sunglasses and with an army cap, or sometimes even dressed in a soldiers camouflage outfit, while being offered toy army objects, including weaponry and vehicles. He was a disciple of the highly venerated monk Luang Poo Thuad (fig.) and is also known as Tah Khai, i.e. ‘Egg Eyes’. His spirit, believed to protect the property of the land, is said to dwell in Wat Chedi Ai Khai (วัดเจดีย์ไอ้ไข่) in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Ai Khai is a spiritual refuge for everyone who admires it and considered to be one of the temple boys known as dek wat. See also TRAVEL PICTURE. 回