Thailand Voice

The red shirt protests have been going on in Bangkok for 4-5 days now. Countless thousands of protesters have been camped out along the Royal Avenue. The news hasn’t received that much attention yet in the international press, mainly because there hasn’t been any violence. Thailand is not like other countries …

The Three Pagoda Pass in the north of Kanchanaburi Province is historically important for several reasons. It was this route that Buddhism is believed to have taken when it first came to Thailand. The pass was also used by the Burmese when they …

A traffic policeman walks past a group of Bangladeshi Jumma Buddhist student monks and novices during a rally outside the United Nations building in Bangkok March 5, 2010. The monks urged the Bangladesh military and Bengali Muslim settlers to stop attacks on the Jumma indigenous people…

Photo provided by the Melbourne Zoo, Mali, a baby Thai elephant, walks from beneath her mother Dokkoon after a naming ceremony performed by Buddhist monks in Melbourne, Australia. Mali is Thai for jasmine and was chosen out of five possibilities derived from her Thai lineage in a public vote …

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…

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…

A devotee to the Thai Buddhist temple Wat Bang Phra works himself into a trancelike state during a religious festival Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, in Nakhon Chaisi, Thailand. Thais come from all over Thailand to be tattooed by the temple’s monks on their bodies being inked by …

One of my favourite festivals in Thailand is the Lotus Throwing Festival in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. A revered Buddha image is placed on a boat and as it is taken up and down Samrong Canal local people throw lotus flowers onto the boat. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

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 means the…

Undoubtedly the most spectacular Chinese temple I have seen in Thailand is Wat Boromracha Kanchanapisek Anusorn in Nonthaburi Province just north-west of Bangkok. I would say it also rivals anything I saw even in China. Parts of the temple reminded me of the Forbidden Palace. This temple, in Bang Bua Thong District, …

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 picture, devout Buddhists feel honoured to…

On Sunday, we went for an enjoyable bicycle ride in Bangkok. At first glance, this would sound like a crazy idea. But, it is amazing that after only a short boat ride across the Chao Phraya River, we were surrounded by lush green vegetation and almost complete silence. In fact, for most of the…

I think one of the first phrases I learned when I arrived in Thailand was “gin khao reu yung?” This is a phrase that asks if you have eaten yet but is really more of a greeting than an inquiry. They are…

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…

TOUR2 : Bang Nampheung Floating Market, The Erawan Museum, Reclining Buddha at Bang Phli and finishing with a meal at sunset at the Bang Pu Seaside Resort. Samut Prakan Province is sandwiched between Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. As it is so close to the …

(Would be extremely difficult to get these two mixed up – but Mrs Clampton did) Due to the positive feedback from the last blog “The Legendary Edith Clampton (Mrs)” , I think it’s only fair to write up a part 2 and include some of the readers’ responses – some…

A Thai Buddhist Monk makes his rounds along Bangkok Noi Klong on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010. While Bangkok to most is a bustling, modern city of more than 10 million people there still remain areas where traditional culture …

Well, about a few weeks back it was my turn, the first in years actually, to do a visa run to Vientiane, Laos. And I did the visa run on my own and not with some over-priced Visa Run trip company. Thinking back, the…

When I first came to Thailand fifteen years ago there wasn’t really that much in the way of English media. All we had at the time were two national newspapers in English and a few programmes on television if we tuned in to …

Buddhist Thais offer alms to Buddhist monks at the morning alms offering on the New Year day Friday, Jan. 1, 2010 in Samut PrakanOffering Alms for , Thailand. (Richard Barrow/ Paknam.com ) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

People launch floating paper lanterns into the sky over the Andaman Sea in remembrance of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami victims, in Khao Lak, in Thailand’s Phang Nga province, about 110 km (68 miles) north of the resort island of Phuket, December 26, 2009. (Reuters) Buddhist monks receive alms during the anniversary of…

Sriwittayapaknam School in Samut Prakan put on Christmas activities for their students on the morning of 25th December 2009. As the students arrived at school, they were greeted by Santa Claus and a couple dozen fairies. The young fairies handed out candies to the students…

Thai school children at Jirasariwithaya School in Ayuttaya, Thailand, react to an elephant, dressed as Santa Claus, as it passes out toys. The tradition has been held for at least five years at the Thai school where almost all students are Buddhists. (AP) Thai students at Jirasariwithaya School…

One of the most spectacular cultural shows in Bangkok is undoubtedly at Siam Niramit: Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Siam. So many people had been talking about it on the Paknam Web Forums that I thought that I should make an…

Today, people from all around the country are coming together to celebrate the 82nd birthday of H.M. The King. Many of them are wearing pink which is an auspicious colour believed to help make the King better. The Thai monarch has been in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok since 19th September for …

Buddhist Monks receive offerings at the takbat ceremony on November 28, 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. During the ceremony, held in Nimanhaemin Rd, approximately 10,000 Buddhist monks received offerings, including food, drink and money. (Getty Images) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Phra Athikansadaeng Premasilo, a 77-year-old abbot of Wat Dong Wai, observes headless Buddha statues after the theft of heads of Buddha sandstone images on November 19 in the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok. Thai police promised to get tough with criminals who…

Mourners pay their last respect to late former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, center, during a bathing rites ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. Samak, a firebrand right-wing politician and TV cooking show host who served a brief and tumultuous term last year as Thailand’s prime minister, died of…

In September, the Thai government started a new project called “United Thais – Strong Thailand” with the intention to promote unity and patriotism. Thai people normally sing or at least stand for the national anthem twice a day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is broadcast on all television and radio stations and…