A Buddhist monk meditates and sleeps in a teak coffin as he believes it has cured his chronic arthritis.

Arkom Janutakhamo, 56, was given the coffin made from valuable teak wood from his religious students at the temple in in Kalasin, northeastern Thailand.

The monk said the teak tree that was used to make the coffin was cut down after it was struck by lightning. He believes it is blessed by high powers and can cure ailments.

He said: ''The teak tree was still standing after it was struck by lightning. My apprentices believed it to be a holy tree with supernatural powers, so they cut it down and made a coffin from it.

"They later gave it to me to use for meditating in. Sitting in a coffin made from holy wood is like a powerful blessing."

Arkom added that he spends four days and four nights a month in the coffin but, which has helped him to overcome arthritis.

He said: "I have been in the coffin for only eight days in two months but now my chronic arthritis which I have had for several years is cured."