temple

  • Thailand News

    Thailand and Cambodia consider reopening Preah Vihear temple to boost tourism

    Anticipation is growing among Thais for the reopening of the Preah Vihear temple ruins in Si Sa Ket after a 15-year suspension to boost tourism and promote peace dialogue with Cambodia. The temple has been inaccessible from Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district since 2008 due to border disputes between the two countries. Soldiers from both Thailand and Cambodia remain stationed…

  • Thailand News

    Serial thief remains elusive despite ongoing theft at temple

    The abbot of a Chong Lom Temple in the central province of Chai Nat reached out to news agencies for assistance regarding an ongoing theft at the temple. The serial temple thief is still at large even though CCTV footage clearly features his face while committing the crime. The CCTV footage revealed the thief aged approximately 30 to 40 years…

  • World News

    Hiroshima’s burnt origami cranes transform into peace-promoting pottery

    In a hillside temple on Miyajima island, facing Hiroshima, a monk in saffron robes blows a conch and begins chanting prayers as thousands of origami cranes donated to Hiroshima are burned. For the past decade, the Daisho-in Buddhist temple has held ritual burnings of the millions of origami cranes sent to Hiroshima each year, honouring the sentiments folded into each…

  • Northern Thailand News

    TURN IT DOWN! Bees attack temple over loud music

    Most people get annoyed when their neighbours blast loud music but have you ever become so angry that you wanted to stab them with your butt? No? Then you mustn’t be a bee! A swarm of bees did just that at a temple in the Nakhon Ratchasima province. A temple in Phimai District was holding an ordination ceremony on Friday…

  • Eastern Thailand News

    Unable to find a temple home, monk living in bus terminal

    The Thaiger recently covered “The Terminal, Bangkok Edition” – a story of a woman stranded in the terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport for two months waiting for her pickup. Now, in the Trat province, a uniquely Thai version of the Hollywood movie starring Tom Hanks has transpired. A monk in the eastern province of Thailand found himself stranded in a bus…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Temple in Pichit wows with rainbow-coloured crematorium

    A temple in the northern province of Phichit is turning some heads with some colourful new decorations. Instead of painting their crematorium in the modest traditional tones of white or cream, they have instead painted it with eye-catching bright rainbow colours. Wat Nong Plong in the Wang Sai Phun district of Phichit decided to brighten up an area overwhelmingly associated…

  • Crime News

    Raid finds all monks on drugs in Phetchabun temple

    Monks behaving badly has become a common trend in Thailand. Reports of monks stealing cars, fighting, and sneaking out for booze and sex have been increasing in recent months. One temple was found to be inhabited by illegal Cambodian immigrants posing as monks and soliciting cash donations to buy drugs. Now one small temple in Phetchabun has been left empty…

  • Phuket News

    Dead baby girl in a plastic bag found in Phuket temple

    A dead newborn baby girl was left in a black plastic bag at a temple in Kathu in Phuket and police are searching for answers. The bag with the baby’s remains was found yesterday at Wat Anuphat Kritsadaram in Thung Thong in Kathu, with police receiving a call at around 5pm to report it. Three monks walking through the area…

  • Thailand News

    Thai monk celebrating Songkran passes out drunk, says he didn’t do anything wrong

    A Buddhist monk was found passed out on the floor with his private parts on show at his temple after he got drunk to bring in the Thai New Year. The monk, who resides at a temple in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, says he didn’t do anything wrong. The 50 year old ex-policeman, who has been ordained as…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Update | Thailand’s newest airport set to open on March 14

    Police are still baffled over exactly what happened on the night Thai actress, known as Tangmo, drowned in the Chao Phraya. At this stage only two people have been charged over the events – the speedboat’s owner and the skipper on the evening. Beyond that police, whilst not necessarily suspecting foul play, say their mystified as to the different accounts…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Update | Will Thailand scrap 2nd test for the Test and Go?

    A meeting today with the CCSA where they will formerly discuss proposals regarding possible updates to Test and Go, the most popular option for the Thailand Pass online application system for international travellers. Although there’s been speculation that the controversial Day 5 PCR test may be dropped, we won’t know until alter today. The Thaiger will bring you up to…

  • Thailand News

    Bollywood actor to become monk for 15 days, wants to promote Buddhism in India

    A Bollywood actor who recently ordained into monkhood in Bangkok said he wants to spread the message of Buddhism in India. In a Facebook post, he said it was time for him to learn Dhamma, understand impermanence, gain knowledge, and “roll the wheel of Dhamma in India.” The actor, Gagan Malik, will only live as a monk for 15 days,…

  • Thailand News

    Abusive Kanchanaburi temple rehab centre ordered to close.

    Following explosive reports of abuse, extortion, and squalor in a drug rehab centre in a temple in Kanchanaburi, the Department of Medical Services ordered the temple be shut down immediately. The Moo 10 village headman in Dan Makhamtia district received an urgent notice Thursday night instructing an immediate closure of the Wat Tha Phu Rat Bamrung facility. The Narcotic Drugs…

  • Thailand News

    Kanchanaburi temple that served as a rehab closes amidst shocking abuse allegations

    A Thai temple in western Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, “Wat Tha Phu Rat Bamrung” also known as “Wat Tha Phu”, which also serves as drug rehab, has been ordered closed following allegations of ransom, torture, and the abuse of human rights. Due to the startling allegations, the temple is being investigated by the Narcotics Control Board and the Public Health Ministry.…

  • World News

    Cambodia upset over Thai temple’s resemblance to Angkor Wat

    Temples are generally known to inspire peace and tranquillity, but a new 100 million baht temple complex in Northeastern Thailand has launched a feud with Cambodia which claims the temple is copying Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world and the pride of Cambodian history and culture. The cultural official in Buriram, the site of the new temple,…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Couple “drops off” Covid infected 80 year old father at Korat temple, drive off

    A husband and wife dropped off an 80 year old man they referred to as father, at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima/Korat in northeastern Thailand. After they dropped off their patriarch with nothing but a cloth bag, they drove off. The man was later found to have Covid. One Facebook user who claims to be a medical worker at the…

  • Thailand News

    Buddhism officials call on temples to cremate those who die while infected with Covid-19

    With Thailand’s Covid-related death toll on the rise, Thai Buddhism officials calling on temples to cremate the bodies of those who died and were infected with the coronavirus. Many Thais believe that cremation helps the spirit move on. Director of the National Office of Buddhism, Narong Song-arom, says the office has coordinated with temples across Thailand to make sure those…

  • Hot News

    Man missing several days found dead in temple well

    The search is over for a man missing for several days when his body was discovered yesterday at the bottom of a well this morning. Surachet Kaenchan, a 37 year old man, had been missing for 4 or 5 days. He was from the Moo 13 village of the Muang district of Nakhom Phanom, a district on the Laos border…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Girl in a coma after being struck by skyrocket launched from temple

    A 10 year old girl is in a coma and in critical condition after a piece of a wooden skyrocket struck the girl in the head. The firework was launched during a cremation ceremony at a temple in the Pak Thong Chai district of the Isaan province Nakhon Ratchasima. The girl was waiting to be picked up at the nearby…

  • Thai Life

    A guide to being respectful when visiting a Buddhist temple in Thailand

    Not all tourists do their research before going to a temple. Some take photos with Buddha statues in a way that is disrespectful to some Thais. Some don’t dress appropriately. A security guard at the popular Wat Arun in Bangkok would blow a whistle at many tourists, telling them to cover their shoulders and knees. Here’s a guide on how…

  • Pattaya News

    Day trip to Bangkok’s closest island – Koh Si Chang | VIDEO

    Ko Si Chang (or Koh Sichang) is a district of Chon Buri Province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Si Chang and its adjoining islands. Ko Si Chang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 kilometres off the shore of the Si Racha District coastline. It’s the closest island to Bangkok and a popular weekend away for Bangkokians.…

  • Tourism News

    Dinner cruise in Bangkok on the Chao Phraya for only 650 baht | VIDEO

    Imagine a romantic cruise on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Or maybe just the finish to a long day of sight-seeing around the Thai city. Cruises on the Chao Phraya, looking back at the city of lights from the famous river is about as good as it gets. Some of the cruises can be quite expensive, although altogether worth…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Monk busted over ‘ice’ alms | January 29

    Police arrested a 45 year old Buddhist monk for allegedly getting high on methamphetamine at a temple in the north eastern province of Buriram. The monk allegedly told police that a follower gave him the drugs as a merit gift and convinced him to take it. Local police say they received a complaint from the Baan Kok Mueng temple’s abbot…

  • Thailand News

    Less Thais visiting temples due to Covid-19, religious tourism at a loss

    While Google searches for “prayers” spiked during the Covid-19 outbreak, people in Thailand are spending less time going to temples to pray. In a recent poll, less people are travelling to temples and making merit due to the pandemic, according to the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office. The office recently did a poll and found that 44% of…

  • Thailand News

    Monk wins 18 million baht in lottery, donates money to temple

    A monk won 18 million baht in the recent lottery and decided to donate the winnings. 67 year old Montri Samajjo, known as Monk Piak, says he didn’t buy the tickets with the hopes of winning. He bought them because a lottery ticket seller came by temple asking for help. The monk gave 1 million baht to each of his…

  • Crime News

    Armed men allegedly steal more than 100,000 baht from Ayutthaya monk

    Police are searching for men who allegedly robbed a monk at an Ayutthaya temple, taking off with more than 100,000 baht in cash. Thai media reports that 2 of the men have been arrested and police are still searching for the other 2 men. The monk was in his room at the Dokmai Buddhist Temple when he heard dogs barking.…

  • Crime News

    Woman shot and killed at Bangkok temple

    A woman was shot and killed at a Bangkok temple today. Police say 39 year old Linlada Phattanphan was found inside the temple, covered in blood. Her head had been shot at 4 times. Linlada went to the temple this morning to make merit, according to her maid, 52 year old Maneerat Srithornrat. The maid told police that the 2 of…

  • Crime News

    Phuket man arrested for posing as a monk, asking for money

    A man allegedly posing as a monk to solicit donations and 3 others allegedly involved in the scam were arrested by Phuket police. Some complaints regarding the fake monk had reached the governor. Police say they found a man dressed in the orange robe and 3 others sitting in the back of a pickup truck with a bag full of money.…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Abbot arrested and defrocked after taking “up-skirt” videos of teenage girl

    The abbot of a temple in northeastern Thailand has been arrested and defrocked after being accused of taking “up-skirt” videos of a teenage girl. The incident is understood to have taken place while the 16 year old girl was visiting the temple on a merit-making trip with her family. The abbot has been named as 48 year old Thanachai Srisuriyawong…

  • Covid-19 News

    Covid-19 found in 3 Thai monks at Las Vegas temple

    The Royal Thai consulate-general in Los Angeles confirmed yesterday that 3 Thai Buddhist monks at a temple in Las Vegas have contracted Covid-19. “The temple has 5 monks, who were tested for Covid-19 on July 13. The test results showed 3 have the virus. 2 monks were rushed to the hospital in critical condition and have been on respirators since,…