From the very early age onward, boys wear objects which reputedly protect them against diseases, witchcraft and accidents. When a boy becomes adolescent these objects with protective power become increasingly important in his life. Undoubtedly the most popular object which is worn on a cord of chain around a man's neck is the image of the Buddha.
In order to make a pressed or printed image, commonly known as phra phim, a monk needs, apart from the mould, a recipe, the proper ingredients, as well as considerable knowledge of spells, the sacred script and magical drawings.
Almost as popular as Buddha images are the metal protective medallions which depict the head of a sacred person. Very popular are medallions with the face of King Chulalongkorn, but even more popular are those with a monk who is famous for his magical powers. Last but not least there are the Thai penis amulet, named; palad khik, which means “honorable surrogate penis.”