Tag: #Buddhism
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My Heart Belongs to Sukhothai
My heart belongs to old Sukhothai. Whenever I’m asked where to visit in Thailand, I always say Sukhothai. Quiet. Ancient. Pastoral. Historic. Soulful. Far from the madding crowds and very Thai. The perfect place. I was last here 20 years ago and worried that Sukhothai would no longer be the peaceful place I remembered. What…
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Nagas: Buddhist Temple Guardians
Nagas are the serpent like creatures that stand guard at almost all Buddhist wats in Thailand. But what exactly do they represent?
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Topless in Thailand: A History of Siamese Boobs & Fashion
Paintings of bare breasted women are commonly found in many of Thailand’s most revered Wats. A Siamese paradox?
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Onward to Kengtung in Shan State
A road trip to Kengtung, Burma may just change your life.
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Boobs, Siam & You
This post was updated on Nov. 26, 2018 Boobs, Buddha and Thailand. Let’s discuss. Thailand Is Boobland…right??? A casual observer of Thai society could easily think that the country has a laissez-faire attitude about how women dress in public. Boobs are pretty harmless in the Land of Smiles, right? After all, as soon as you…
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Songkran: A Thailand Moral Controversy
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Thai Songkran is a traditional Buddhist event. Tourists who get drunk and cavort with bar girls insult this most important Thai event.
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Death in Buddha Land
There are these small temples (wats) that dot the rural landscape of Thailand-especially in the North. From a distance, these little wats look almost identical to their bigger counterparts which are often nearby. The difference, from a distance, is that the “little” wats have a long, tall chimney that protrudes into the sky. The “little”…
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The Old Dog and the Wat
I attended a Buddhist Lent ceremony at a very old, important Wat in Lamphun Province years ago. My father-in-law was still alive, but very old and in poor health. With great effort, he came to the ceremony. He was an important person in the community and a benefactor of the Wat. His attendance gave the…
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Thai Temple Manners
Going to Thailand without visiting a Thai Wat is like going to Yosemite and not seeing Half Dome.