buddhism
- Northern Thailand News
Buddhist temple warns good people can go to hell for using life support
Wat Pa Kramathan, a famous temple in Nakhon Ratchasima, set up an educational centre to disseminate Buddhist teachings. It has installed a sign with an intriguing Buddhist message: “Doing good deeds can lead to hell.” The temple head explained the reasoning behind this unusual warning today, a condemnation of artificial medical life support. Located in the Non-Saad district of Chokchai,…
- Thailand News
Phra Ratchawacharangsi, renowned Thai monk, dies at 89 after lifetime of devotion
Thai monk and respected author Phra Ratchawacharangsi, known for creating the sacred book “Man Pithi”, has passed away peacefully at the age of 89 after 69 years of religious service. The revered figure succumbed to his illness yesterday at Bangkok Hospital. The news of Phra Ratchawacharangsi’s passing was shared on the Facebook page of Buddhist News, with followers and fellow…
- Crime News
Disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand adopts, kills and burns at least 18 cats
A disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand confessed to adopting cats via Facebook and beating them to death. Yesterday, the burned carcasses of 18 cats were dug up from behind his living quarters at a temple in Chachoengsao province. Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT), an animal rights charity, reported the horrific discovery of animal cruelty at the hands of an ordained Buddhist monk…
- Thailand News
Thai monk dies in sweltering heat after drunk policeman causes power outage
A drunk policeman crashed into an electric pole causing a power outage in Surin province in northeast Thailand on Thursday amid soaring temperatures. This caused problems for a Buddhist monk with a lung complaint because he was hot and couldn’t turn on his fan because of the power outage. His naked body was discovered in his room the next morning, reports…
- Crime News
80 million baht cash found buried at Buddhist temple in Thailand
A stash of 80 million baht cash and a pile of gold bars were found buried in the soil behind Wat Pa Dhammakiri temple in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand on Monday. The temple was searched after the former abbot and two others were arrested under suspicion of embezzling 180 million baht of temple funds last week. The three…
- Thailand News
Unique ordination parade sees men tossed in air in Chaiyaphum village
Eight men embarking on a spiritual journey into the Buddhist monkhood experienced a thrilling ordination parade in Ban Non-Salao, a village in the Phu Khieo district. In the morning, the provincial governor of Chaiyaphum, Sopon Suwanrat, attended religious ceremonies at a village shrine honouring the 8 men being ordained, collectively referred to as ‘nagas.’ The day’s main attraction was a…
- Thai Life
Mad Buddhist monks brawl at funeral in northeast Thailand
Tensions were high at a funeral in Surin province in northeast Thailand on Friday when a brawl broke out between two saffron-robed Buddhist monks, allegedly over a plastic chair. Yesterday, the acting abbot of Wat Pho Sri Sawang Arom, Phra Toi Kan, told reporters what happened at the temple on Friday. In Thailand, Buddhist funeral rites include a distinctive ritual…
- Thai Life
Thai man’s Emerald Buddha Songkran office party outfit is ‘inappropriate,’ monk says
A Thai man won 5000 baht for ‘best outfit’ at his office’s Songkran party in Udon Thani province yesterday, but a senior Buddhist monk says that dressing like the Emerald Buddha is “inappropriate.” The Emerald Buddha is a statue of the historical Buddha in a meditative pose, made out of the semi-precious stone jasper and considered the “sacred palladium of…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai monk does goal celebration after escaping military conscription (video)
A Buddhist monk ran around the room like a celebrating footballer upon drawing a black card at a military conscription draftee selection event in Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand on Sunday, meaning that he won’t be required to serve in the military. Cheers erupted from the crowd when a black card was drawn for 24 year old Phra Phuwanai Gayputsa…
- Thai Life
Thai monk throws money from the sky to celebrate his birthday (video)
A Thai Buddhist monk ascended into the air on a crane and threw 150,000 baht cash to attendees of his birthday party at a temple in Surin province in northeast Thailand on Tuesday. To celebrate his 46th birthday and 24th year in the monkhood, Phra Khru Phot Suwannarat – aka Luang Phor Kaen – hired a crane to hoist him…
- Pattaya News
Motorcyclist crashes into religious vendor stall in Pattaya, gets seriously injured
A motorcyclist was seriously injured after crashing into a religious vendor stall in Pattaya. The incident happened at 2.40am yesterday on Soi Pornprapanimit in Bang Lamung district. Rescuers rushed to the scene to find the motorcyclist, 49 year old Sakhon Nakhon native Phothong Chaitamat, lying unconscious beside his motorcycle. He was bleeding heavily, so the rescuers provided him with first…
- Thai Life
Thailand lottery winner thanks Buddha with 100 pig’s heads
A Thai lottery winner today laid out 100 pig’s heads in front of the famous 30-metre-tall Buddha statue at Wat Klang Bang Phra Temple in Nakhon Pathom province in central Thailand. The lucky winner, Panu Nawisamphan from Samut Prakan province, did not reveal how much money he won in the government lottery. Panu said his offering of 100 pig’s heads…
- Thai Life
Revered Thai monk’s body defies decomposition 20 years after death
More than 20 years after revered Thai monk Luang Phu Woraphon Thawitan passed away, his body remains displayed in a glass case at his temple in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand. Not only has the deceased monk’s body not decomposed – defying science – but his skin has turned emerald green, reports Sanook. Yesterday, Phra Khru Sri Pattarasan, the current…
- Crime News
Thai monk charged with attempted murder after leaving policeman in need of urgent brain surgery
A Thai policeman underwent urgent brain surgery after being attacked by a Buddhist monk at a temple in Phitsanulok province in northern Thailand on Wednesday. Police have charged the monk with attempted murder. At 2.30pm, officers of Matum Patrol Police Force were informed that a monk was displaying manic behaviour, harassing people and destroying property at Wat Tha Chang temple…
- Events
Makha Bucha Day Monday: lots of Buddhism, no booze
Buddha Days: holidays of religious celebration for Thais and sober frustration for foreign tourists. Next week Thailand will celebrate Makha Bucha Day, an important religious holiday for Thai Buddhists. The holiday falls on Monday, March 6. While the day may not hold the same religious significance for non-Buddhists, it is still recognized as a significant day in Thai culture, and…
- Thailand News
Thai monk starring in sex clip claims he was drugged by German man
A Thai monk is in the spotlight after a video of him performing oral sex on a German man circulated on the Internet. The Buddhist monk admitted it was him in the clip but claims it was filmed two years ago when he temporarily left the monkhood. Not only that, he claims that the German man drugged him with a…
- Thailand News
English-born Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro becomes Thai
HRH the King may have bestowed Thai nationality upon famous farang Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro back in 2020 but it took almost three years to get his Thai ID card. On Sunday, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro took photos for his new Thai ID card in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. On March 9, 2020, King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand bestowed Thai…
- Thailand News
Elderly Thai monk ‘dies from stress’ after falling victim to scam
An elderly Thai monk suffered several seizures and passed away shortly after being scammed out of 5,000 baht at his temple in Nonthaburi province in central Thailand. Yesterday, 35 year old Preecha Saeng-on, an official from Wat Pak Nam temple in Nonthaburi province, informed the media that 91 year old Pra Chuen Seesuay – aka Luang Ta – suffered several…
- Crime News
Foreigner claims suspected Thai monk in sex clip is actually him
A Vietnamese man claims that it is he featured in a clip of two men having sex and not the accused famous Thai monk ‘Kru Ba Gai.’ Four former students of Kra Ba Gai, a well-known abbot of a temple in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand, accused the monk of having sexual relations with a man which is against the…
- Thailand News
Australia returns 9 ancient Buddha statues to Thailand after 112 years
Nine wooden Buddha statues have returned to Thailand after being in Australia for 112 years. Murray Upton, an Australian man from Canberra, contacted the Royal Thai Embassy that he was in possession of nine ancient Buddha statues from Thailand. The Australian said he received the Buddha statues from his father. He said they were in his father’s possession since 1911.…
- Thailand News
Police ordain as monks to pray for Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha
Police officers and local men ordained as monks at Bang Phlee Yai Klang Temple in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok yesterday to make merit and pray for the recovery of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati. In total, 49 police officers and local men took part in the ordination ceremony. The group will observe 227 rules for monks outlined…
- Thailand News
Thailand, an interfaith paradise?
Today’s Pakistan Observer provides an interesting insight into Thailand as an interfaith paradise, seen from overseas, but not through the more usual Western lens. In Pakistan, Thailand is seen as a paradise of interfaith tolerance, and perhaps it is. Former Head of the Department of International Relations & Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University of Bangkok Prof. Dr Jaran Maluleem…
- Bangkok News
Temple new year coffin ceremony lets you be reborn
After partying hard on New Year’s Eve, many of us start the year feeling pretty dead. But for one temple on the far edges of Bangkok, they take that feeling to the next level. A New Year’s Day tradition sees temple followers crawl into coffins to invite good luck and rid themselves of bad luck for 2023. Wat Takian, in…
- Politics News
‘Calm down, PM!’ – supreme patriarch sparks Prayut rant
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is hardly known for keeping his head when all about him are losing theirs. Thailand is quite accustomed to stories of Prayut losing his cool in public, but the PM’s avuncular facade often cracks open, revealing the volatile – let’s say “passionate” – leader beneath. When Prayut went to receive a blessing from supreme patriarch…
- Lifestyle
The spiritual significance of lotus flowers in Thailand
If you live in Thailand, you’ve probably noticed the country’s scenic lotus flowers blooming in ponds across the kingdom. These flowers add a great deal of beauty to Thailand’s scenery. But did you know that lotuses also hold significance in Thai Buddhism? Lotuses grow from mud, and are therefore believed to symbolise growing toward light and warmth, and rising above…
- Pattaya News
1 thousand people celebrate start of Buddhist festival at Pattaya temple
About 1,000 people celebrated the start of a Buddhist festival at a temple in Pattaya on Sunday. The Nong Or Temple had a kick-off event for the Thod Kathin Festival with about 1,000 people in attendance. Photos show a happy crowd of attendees smiling and clapping, as well as attendees presenting offerings to a monk. The Thod Kathin Festival begins…
- World News
VIDEO: Sex doll consecration ceremony infuriates Buddhism officials in Myanmar
Buddhism officials in Myanmar are filing a lawsuit against a group of people who conducted a religious ceremony for two sex dolls at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, which is considered one of Myanmar’s most sacred sites, on Saturday. A group of people arrived at the temple with two sex dolls dressed in traditional Burmese clothing and wearing tiaras. The group…
- Thailand News
Elderly monk starts barefoot journey around Thailand to raise money for hospital
An elderly Buddhist monk set off at 5am today on a 3,145 kilometre journey around Thailand. The 73 year old monk will walk barefoot from his temple in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, all the way to Chiang Rai in northernmost Thailand and on to his hometown in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeast. Luang Ta Bunchuen Panyawutho, of the Thai…
- Thailand News
Monk ends Buddhist Lent with a bang in northeast Thailand
Police picked up an inebriated, half-naked monk from the side of the road in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand, on one of the most auspicious Buddhist holidays of the year – Awk Pansa (exit Pansa) on Monday. Buddhist monks and maechis came out of their temples for the first time in three months on Monday upon completion of a period of…
- Thailand News
Burmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand
Alleged spies from the Burmese junta, disguised as Buddhist monks and nuns, were among 54 Burmese people arrested at a three-storey building in Tak province in northern Thailand on Monday, according to Channel3. On Monday, police, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Mae Sot District Administrative Organisation, and Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) closed in…
- Thailand News
Monk-turned-ladyboy bites back at netizens questioning how she bought a BMW
Former monk Phra Maha Phraiwan – now a ladyboy and influencer who goes by the nickname “Prairie” – ditched the orange robes for an orange dress and bought a BMW. Prairie has snapped back at netizens asking her, “How did you get so rich?” Phra Maha Phraiwan – also a successful writer – rose to fame in 2021 for his…
- Crime News
2 fake monks make up to 40k baht per day scamming villagers in northern Thailand
Police arrested two men dressed up in orange robes at a market in Tak province, northern Thailand, yesterday morning. The “monks” were walking around the market asking for donations from merchants and customers. Locals said the pair have been at it for years. At 9am, officers from Wang Chao Police Station received a call that “monks” were walking around a…
- Crime News
Policeman poses as Buddhist monk to trick drug dealers in central Thailand
A policeman swapped his tight, zip-up uniform for saffron robes last week in a cunning plan to lure two drug dealers to arrest in Ratchaburi province, central Thailand – but he also broke the law in doing so. Villagers in Ban Pong district complained to police that Ya Ba, a cheap version of Methenamine, was being sold at a famous…
- Thailand News
Woman leaves fetus in a box at temple in northeast Thailand
A woman brought a box with a fetus inside it to a temple in Udon Thani province, northeast Thailand, on Wednesday. She told the monks she had a miscarriage and she wanted them to pray for the baby’s spirit. The woman said she would come back the next day to collect the fetus, but she didn’t come back. At 6pm…
- Crime News
‘Whiskey prevents Covid-19’ claims monk caught drink driving in northeast Thailand
Police caught a Buddhist monk as drunk as a skunk driving a pickup truck in Loei province, northeast Thailand, yesterday at 9.30am. The monk claims his concoction of rice whiskey and lemons prevents Covid-19. Yesterday morning, police from Loei Provincial Police Station received a report that a drunk monk was asking people for money and “causing mayhem” around the market…
- Thailand News
Today is National No Alcohol Day in Thailand
“No Alcohol, No Disease, No Covid-19:” is the official motto for this year’s National No Alcohol Day in Thailand, hand-written by Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. National No Alcohol Day coincides with “Khao Pansa” (entering Pansa), an auspicious Buddhist holiday celebrated across southeast Asia. Khao Pansa marks the first day of “Vassa,” the 3 month Buddhist Rains Retreat. For three…
- Thailand News
Buddhist monks save child from drowning in the Chao Phraya river
Two Buddhist monks from Wat Bang Sai temple, located on the waterfront in Samut Prakan province, jumped into the Chao Phraya river on Saturday and saved a child who was drowning. Once 13 year old Khanin recovered from the incident, he explained that he was swimming with his friends when the water underneath him suddenly became very cold. He said…
