If you only visit one temple in Chiang Mai, then Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the one to visit. And don’t just take my word for it; local people say that if you haven’t been to Doi Suthep, you haven’t been to Chiang Mai. The mountain wat that … [Read more...]
Sai Sin and the Sacred White Thread
If you’re a regular visitor to Thailand, there is a good chance you’ve had white cotton bracelets tied round your wrists at some stage during your travels. This cotton thread has been blessed in advance by a Buddhist monk and is known as 'sai sin'. … [Read more...]
Ban Baat Monk’s Bowl Community, Bangkok
There was a time when all of the bowls used by Thai monks on their daily alms round were hand-made. Today, most of these alms bowls are mass-produced cheaply and quickly in factories elsewhere in Asia. But in Bangkok, one community is preserving the … [Read more...]
The Rabbit on the Moon
Just as Western folklore has stories about the 'Man in the Moon', Thai folklore has stories about the 'Rabbit on the Moon'. If you look at a full moon in Thailand, you may be able to make out the outline of a rabbit or white hare. Depending on your … [Read more...]
Thailand Mourns Death of Top Buddhist Monk
Thailand has entered into an official mourning period following the death of the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara. The head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand passed away yesterday evening at Chulalongkorn Hospital in … [Read more...]
Meditating Monks at Wat Pan Tao, Chiang Mai
I took this set of photos last night at Wat Pan Tao in Chiang Mai. It's an important time for Buddhists in Thailand with yesterday being Asahna Bucha Day and today being the start of the Buddhist rains retreat known as Phansa. The three-month long … [Read more...]
The Three Jewels of Buddhism
If you visit a Buddhist temple in Thailand, you will notice that the people making a prayer inside the main hall of the wat will bow down three times in front of the principal Buddha image. In the temple grounds you may also see people walking around … [Read more...]
Thod Kathin Robes Offering Ceremony (Kathina)
Following the end of Buddhist Lent (Awk Phansa) new robes and offerings are made to the monkhood as part of the annual thod kathin or kathina ceremony. This ceremony often involves a procession of lay-people walking along a pre-arranged route to … [Read more...]
Photos from Makha Bucha Day
I took these photos at a Thai temple in the Chiang Mai countryside on Makha Bucha Day earlier this week. This is an important Buddhist holiday and an opportunity for Thai people to make merit by visiting the local wat (temple) and making donations … [Read more...]
Money Tree in Thailand
If you are travelling in Thailand for any length of time you may see a money tree at some stage during your journey. These can often be seen in temples after they've been donated, but whilst the trees are still 'growing' I’ve also seen them in … [Read more...]
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