The legend that has been told without a clear period of time, but certainly relating to the establishment Phra Borommathart Chedi of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
"Kao Seen" has been a specific calling name since the old times to this ordinary mountain. The scientific explanation may say that the mountain was formed up from lava and protruded into the sea while religious explanation many say that God created it. Anyway, nobody can prove the origin of this mountain. However, there is a tale regarding the name of this mountain "Kao Saen"
The tale said "Nai Raeng" a man who had no prove where he was from., but it was presumed that he might be a Java man traveling from Pattani and heading to Nakhon Si Thammarat with intention to join in the merit making of enshrining Buddha relics into the chedi of Wat Phra Mahathart Nakhon Si Thammarat Temple. While he was traveling on the way, arriving about the area and he got to know that the ceremony at Wat Phra Mahathat Nakhon Si Thammarat had finished. He then felt disappointed that he could not be able to make it in time. He ordered his men to take all of his possession. His possessions treasure 900,000 baht in those days. (900,000 is Kao-saen in Thai term)
Before he was beheaded, Nai Raeng cursed on his treasure that whoever took them would be destined to suffer misfortunes, only his descendant could be able to take the treasure. Then he was beheaded and his head was placed on his treasure. Due to a large body of Nai Raeng, his head was as large as the rock that exists on the mountain. His men placed a meal wrapped meal became petrified and is called "Hin Khao Hor".
The rumor of beheaded Nai Raeng spread out and a lot of people including Thai and Chinese people tried to prove as a descendant of Nai Raeng by pushing out the large rock to take the treasure, but none has succeeded in doing so. The mountain was called "Khao Kao Saen" and slightly distorted pronounce to "Kao Seng". Many years ago, Khao Kao Seng was obscured by a local community named Kao Seng Community which was later moved out to another location and then was named "Ban Khao Oak"
Visit Wat Khao Kao Saen and pay respect to Luang Po Dam replica of Buddha's footprint ancient Chedi including the rock of Na Raeng.
A superstitious tale from elder people that the treasure under the large rock could be seen and could be reached and touched by hand through a hole but could not take it out. Moreover, once a day, an elder man of a large body would take out the treasure and expose them to the air on the southern yard of the rock where the locals called the place "Lan Tak Bia" (a yard for exposing treasure). Anyone took the exposed treasure away, it would turn into the rock of shell. The surrounding areas around the rock are named in Southern Thai dialect such as "Bo Prungprang" "Hin Fu Rurn" etc. There was an amazing phenomenon on the night of the fourth waning moon day in the fourth month of Buddhist Era 2544 (2001) when the Ban Khao Oak Native Conservative Club organized an event in dedicating to Thuart Ta Raeng (Nai Raeng) that the large rock obviously look like a man's face especially the nose and the cheekbone. Such a phenomenon can be noticed during the night of the second fourth waning moon days in every month as well.
Khao Kao Saen is a legend in consequence to the tale of Nai Raeng and his treasure of 900,000 Baht that has been waiting for the descendants of Nai Raeng to take them. Anyway, Khao Kao Saen has another old property of Chedi Phraya Wichiensiriboonsang Na Songkhla, who was the 4rt Governor of Songkhla which was built up in B.E. 2372 (1829). It is situated gracefully with Songkhla very long time.
