Thailand Stories

One of the most beautiful and also important temples in Lamphun Province in Northern Thailand is Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai. According to legend, the Lord Buddha himself once came to this area to collect alms. A local Lua tribesman offered him some “samor”, a kind of fruit. The Buddha predicted that a man would later erect a …

One of the most important events in the Thai Buddhist calendar is Makha Bucha Day (sometimes spelled Magha Puja). It takes place on the full moon day of the third lunar month which is usually late February or early March. This year it was today, 28th February 2010. Like many Thai people, I was up early this morning before …

The grounds of a Buddhist temple in Thailand have a variety of buildings of all shapes and sizes. At first glance their use might seem to be random. But, there is one building, called the “phra ubosot” which is not only the most sacred but also has distinguishing features that makes it…

Traditionally, in Thailand, when a Buddhist dies, their body is cremated and then the bones and ashes are collected and are either kept at the temple or at home or sometimes both. However, there is a third option which is seemingly becoming more popular these days. It is called “loi angkarn” which …

In Thai society, the head is considered both clean and sacred. In contrast, the feet are considered dirty. It is considered an insult to wave your feet at someone while sitting down or use to your feet to push something to one side. In…

This is a picture of a Thai family scattering the ashes of a deceased relative in the Gulf of Thailand. Traditionally, Thai families either keep the ashes at home, at the temple or scatter them on the waters or a combination of all three. Many people travel to Paknam in Samut Prakan to scatter ashes at the mouth …

This large Reclining Buddha can be found at Wat Khun Inthapramun in Angthong Province in Central Thailand. It is 50 meters long. Some guidebooks mistakenly say that it is the longest in Thailand. However, I know one at Wat Bang Phli Yai Klang in Samut Prakan that is 53 meters. This Reclining Buddha is believed to …

Phra Pathom Chedi is located in Muang District, Nakhon Pathom Province, 56 kilometers west of Bangkok. The pagoda is the largest structure of its kind in Thailand. It rises more than 120 meters into the air with the radius of the base of 233.50 meters. The present chedi was built in the …

Judging by these photos that I took early this morning, not everyone was nursing hangovers after welcoming in the New Year at midnight last night. Like thousands of other local people from Paknam, I was up early at 6 a.m. to head down to the City Pillar where the main road through town had been closed for a merit …

The giant three-headed elephant at The Erawan Museum is the largest of its kind in the world. It is about 50 meters high which is the same as a 50 storey building.

Tags: thai buddhismthailand pictures
Category Thailand, thai buddhism

Novice Monk Parade

Posted on October 24, 2009

Young Thai boys, freshly shaven for their ordination as novice monks, parade through the town to announce to the spirits at the City Pillar shrine that they are about to be ordained. More at www.ThaiBuddhist.com Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Novice Monk Parade at My Thai Photos by Richard Barrow

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Category Thailand, thai buddhism

Boat Parade on Gulf of Thailand

Posted on October 22, 2009

One of my favourite festivals in Thailand is undoubtedly Luang Phor Pan Worshipping Festival in Bang Bo District of Samut Prakan. I went last year for the first time and had no idea what to expect. There were so many surprises that I had a really…

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Boat Parade on Gulf of Thailand at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: Chachoengsaofestivalssamut prakanThailand
Category Chachoengsao, Thailand, Trang, festivals, samut prakan, songkran, thai buddhism

Novice Monk Ordination for H.M. The King

Posted on October 20, 2009

During the school holidays in Thailand, it is common for Thai students to ordain as novice monks for a short time. In the olden days, before there were government schools, poor boys would ordain in order to get an education. However, these days, their parents want …

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Novice Monk Ordination for H.M. The King at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: add new tagsamut prakansongkranthai buddhismThailand
Category Buddhism, Thailand, samut prakan, thai buddhism

Novice Monk Ordination for H.M. The King

Posted on October 20, 2009

During the school holidays in Thailand, it is common for Thai students to ordain as novice monks for a short time. In the olden days, before there were government schools, poor boys would ordain in order to get an education. However, these days, their parents want them to ordain for a short…

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Novice Monk Ordination for H.M. The King at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: Buddhismthai buddhismThailand
Category Buddhism, Thailand, samut prakan, thai buddhism

Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

Posted on October 16, 2009

This morning in Samut Prakan we had the rare honour of a visit by Somdet Phra Phuttacharn (Somdet Kiaw) the abbot of Wat Saket in Bangkok. However, this is no ordinary monk as he is the Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. He is effectively the leader of all Buddhist monks in Thailand. He came to Samut Prakan to open a…

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: bangkoksamut prakanthai buddhismThailand
Category Thailand, bangkok, samut prakan, thai buddhism

Candlelight Procession at Phra Samut Chedi

Posted on October 12, 2009

On the evening of the fourth day of the Phra Samut Chedi Temple Fair, it is traditional for the local people to come together to take part in chanting and a candlelight procession around the pagoda. This happens every year and it is always a beautiful sight. The best …

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Candlelight Procession at Phra Samut Chedi at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: add new tagFestivals and Eventssongkranthai buddhism
Category Festivals and Events, Thailand, festivals, samut prakan, thai buddhism

A Foreign Monk in Thailand

Posted on September 17, 2009

This is continuing my interview with Peter Robinson, who is probably better known in Thailand as “Phra Farang”, the foreign monk. (Click here for part one.) Peter spent ten years as a monk before finally disrobing in order to spend …

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: A Foreign Monk in Thailand at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: Generalthaithai buddhismThailand
Category General, Thailand, thai buddhism

An Interview with "Phra Farang"

Posted on September 16, 2009

One of the best books about Buddhism in Thailand is undoubtedly “Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand” by Phra Peter Pannapadipo. Even if you are not interested in becoming a monk yourself, his vivid description of his ten years as a…

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: An Interview with "Phra Farang" at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: bangkokthai buddhismThailandTrang
Category Thailand, Trang, bangkok, thai buddhism

Monks on Alms Round by Boat

Posted on September 08, 2009

In the olden days in Thailand, most people lived along canals and the only way they could travel around was by boat. At major intersections farmers would come together to create floating markets. With the building of roads and modern houses, many…

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: Monks on Alms Round by Boat at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

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Category Thailand, samut prakan, thai buddhism

The Baby Buddha Image

Posted on July 16, 2009

There are quite a few Buddha images, however most of them depict him at the same age. This Baby Buddha image, called “pang prasut” in Thai, is relatively rare. It depicts the moment when the Buddha was born and he immediately started walking. I haven’t seen one like this …

Written by: Richard Barrow

Read more: The Baby Buddha Image at Richard Barrow’s Life in Thailand

Tags: songkranthaithai buddhism
Category Thailand, thai buddhism