roath

I did seven days in Wat Umong in Chiang Mai in 1998. During ordination, you need a sponsor who cannot be your wife or a younger woman. My mother-in-law was my sponsor, meaning she handed me my robes during the ceremony. When she died in 2009, I ordained for the day to honor her memory, karmic payback. If you're trying to keep your ordination private, you might want to tell the abbot in advance that you need a sponsor. "Sponsor" is my word for it. I forget the Thai word.

My biggest recommendation is that you commit the blessing to memory, the one you say to people who put food in your bowl. People really do respect you and appreciate the cross-cultural aspect of foreign monks who ordain in the Theravada tradition. You may see them allow other monks to pass and wait for you to hear the blessing from you. Don't fake it.

Your question was clear. Ignore the people who are trying to steer you to some meditation retreat for laymen.

One thing I found a little odd was that you want to do this in October. Once you ordain as a monk, you shouldn't leave during Buddhist Lent (Phansaa), so check the calendar carefully before you make arrangements, again making your thoughts clear to the abbot. Phansaa ends October 27 this year.

Being a monk and doing a meditation retreat are quite different things. Both have benefit but they are not equal in terms of the experience. People do seem to miss the point due to their own personal agenda and/or prejudices. Thais frankly would not have these issues and neither would they regard being a monk and doing a meditation retreat at the same time as mutually exclusive activities. In Burma, it is quite common for foreigners doing longer retreats to ordain (most usually as novices as the rules are not so strict for a novice as opposed to a full monk - 10 rules as opposed to 227).

Generally, if one ordains during Buddhist Lent, then the tradition is to remain for the entirety of the rainy season (and I understand that for this reason, many temples will not ordain during the rainy season itself). However, it is a tradition not a rule (Vinaya) and there is no actual reason why one could not ordain during Phansa otherwise.

Equally, the rule during Phansa is simply that one should reside at the same Wat each evening (although you may obtain dispensation from the Abbot - most commonly, it is to travel to visit sick or dying relatives). During the day, one is free to leave the temple.

The prohibition against travel during the rainy season was originally a practical one - because of course travel is much more difficult when there is daily rain, and of course to prevent monks from trampling through muddy rice fields and perhaps ruining crops or otherwise disturbing the farmers during the most important agricultural season).

There's no such thing as a non-commercial Wat in Thailand. They're all about fleecing the locals to decorate in gold. I have only contempt for such a so-called religion. Thailand shouldn't just disband its discredited police force but should do the same with the wats which handle huge sums with no book-keeping on a daily basis whilst all about their parishioners wonder where their next bowl of rice is coming from.

There are a few.

Many years ago I spent a couple of weeks at a Meditation Wat in Nakhon SriTHamarat. I noticed on the web they still seem the same with the exception they are asking a donation of 50 baht a day for food.

Of course most of them have got on the gold wagon. When I first came here most wats did not have a fence.

Times are difficult for many temples these days. Meditation temples tend to be even more reliant on donations than your local Wat which carries out ceremonies for people (which usually provides the source of revenue). Ultimately, temples have to be built and maintained and the electric and water paid for, and just being temples, they don't get for free. I accept that many temples just sit on the money they are donated (and there is a big debate even within the Thai sangha about this) but life isn't so easy for the more serious temples. Equally, they won't go out on alms round for a large number of lay people so they will need to organise food and cooks. They are hardly going to get rich on 50 baht a day!! Thai society is also changing, and thefts from temples are not unheard of these days. Like Churches back home (which in theory should be open 24/7), they need locks the same as all of us which is a shame but anyway

I can recommend a temple in Chiang Mai province which is normally quite good about ordination for foreigners for short periods of time. They consider it a service for foreigners who want to learn more about Buddhism and experience life as a monk even for a short time. They also have a school attached so I am sure would be very happy to have you to help with some language teaching whilst you are there. As you mentioned, it is best to ordain after Buddhist Lent has finished for a number of reasons. You can PM me if interested. The Abbot speaks good English and I understand that there is a farang monk who runs the meditation centre attached to the centre.

Saying that, if you are in Phuket and speak good Thai, then it should not be too difficult to be able to ordain locally (again after Ook Phansa).

As a matter of fact family and temple would hold a big party for you.

This is definitely what I do not want...

Yes, I'm very much aware of the 2 weeks that Thai men spend in a temple.

Lol, I recall my Thai ex-wife spending 150,000 baht some years ago on a lavish party for her toyboy when he went to stay in the temple for a couple of weeks.

I don't need any of that - I have no close family now - this is something for me to do privately.

I appreciate if you can PM me with any useful information. Thanks.

Hi Simon.

I am curious as to why you wish to become a Monk for this short period?

I would mention that from a Buddhist point of view, ordination as a monk provides great merit (boon บุญ in Thai). Full (bhikkhu) ordination as opposed to novice (samanera) ordination provides the greatest merit. Thus, even being a monk for a day provides you with great merit.

I would also say from a personal perspective also that becoming a monk for any period of time is a wonderful experience for someone who is a practicing Buddhist as it provides you with direct experience of the life as a monk. When I was ordained (also for a short period - visa issues in my case being the limitation at the time), I felt a connection to the Buddha himself through the lineage of monks being ordained from the Buddha all the way through to me, which is something that you can only appreciate through direct experience.

Looking at a picture of a place in a book is not the same experience as actually travelling to a place and experiencing it directly and that is the difference between doing a meditation retreat as a lay person and actually experiencing life as a monk.

In Sri Lanka, it is expected that monks should only ordain as a lifelong calling, but this is a cultural issue, not a religious one as the Buddha never made any statement about how long one should be obliged to ordain. He knew that the monk life was not for everyone and that even a short period as a monk can be significant. In the Tibetan tradition, they have a rule that you should not ordain more than 7 times, but this is a practical issue as they regard ordination as serious (but were also pragmatic about the fact that people often needed to dis-robe for periods of time in order to deal with family or worldly matters)

I have to say also that Thai people are more respectful of foreigners who have become monks as it shows a deep interest in their culture as well as religion. Learning Thai is similar in that respect.

I hope that this gives you some insight into the reason for becoming a monk even if only for a short time. .

Wat Pah Nanachat in Warin Champrat Ubon Ratchatani is an international monastery, mostly farangs. When I stayed there the Abbott was an Australian this may have changed, The language of the monastery is English. I stayed there for a short time while visiting my brother who lived there for a year, they might not ordain you within 10 days as they are (according to the local Thais) very strict about their practice. You can stay there and participate in the life including going on pindibar in the morning. If you decide to include a full moon in your stay, as I did your will enjoy the long day of prayer and meditation from 4am till past 10pm.

Here is a link for more information; http://www.watpahnanachat.org/index.php

They will not ordain foreigners for short periods. You can shave your head and wear white as an Anagarika: http://www.watpahnanachat.org/ordaining.php

This is obviously, not the same as a monk though, even a novice

Question: What is the difference between the Thai Navy and a Thai woman???

Answer: None !!!

The Thai Navy is like my Thai Wife. They both like to spend money on worthless items.

Thai Navy = Thai Wife

If the gulf, which is 400 kilometres wide, were blocked, as happened during World War II, the country would be badly affected.

So then it will be time to build a new railroad !!!

If the gulf were blocked stopping international trade, it is highly likely that the NATO ally Navies would be round pretty quick with some pretty chunky aircraft carriers and weapons capabilities, as they have done in the Arabian Gulf to fight the pirates. The biggest problem in this area is piracy, for which you need good quality patrol boats (i.e. fast) not subs (i.e. slow). The other point is that in reality, the only country with any significant naval capacity in the region is China, and if they really had a go at Thailand, it is unlikely that we would be talking about a local spat but probably WWIII!!!

Although Western military hardware is covered by official secrets acts etc. there is widespread knowledge of the reliability and safety of Western hardware. China is notoriously secretive (like the Russians). Safety has not historically been their first concern, nor longevity. Equally, you are spot on when you talk about buying military hardware from the one country that is causing geo-political instability in the area. There has been enormous controversy about Western governments buying even civilian hardware in sensitive situations (e.g. for government departments). Buying military hardware would be unthinkable. I am ex-Navy myself, and I cannot see the logic of a country like Thailand having submarines, given their geography and local issues. They need patrol boats and small frigates and for the cost of the subs, the Thai Navy could pay for quite a useful number of them along with top quality training.

What an embarrassing article. It demonstrates the incompetence of the Royal Thai Navy leadership. Wearing lots of gold piping and medals doesn't make one a competent naval officer.

The submarines could be used for at least 30 years, the Navy stated.

Seriously? I mean, seriously? What industrial market products manufactured by China last more than 10 years? The submarines will be obsolete in 10 years as they are not cutting edge or state of the art now.. Why make a claim of a 30 year life expectancy?

The Navy said although there was no war looming, maritime conflicts between countries existed and no one could guarantee that the conflicts would not descend into wars. Having the submarines would be a defensive strategy against wars and a balance of power mechanism.
The only country that presents a military threat is China. Why then would one purchase submarines from a potential enemy? The Chinese will be able to track the Thai submarines and will be able to easily sink them.

In terms of its marine capability, the country is lagging 10 years behind neighbouring countries like Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Then deal with the training and education gap first. Purchase sufficient numbers of coastal defense vessels first.

In response to claims the Yuan Class S26T would not be useful because it can only dive in shallow water and are easy targets for enemies, the Navy argued that the Gulf of Thailand is about 50 metres deep and some operations need to be done near the shore. Planes cannot see submarines which dive down 20 metres, it said.

Seriously? Is he for real? It's 2015 not 1945. A quick look at the internet will provide a quick listing of common methods to track/hunt submarines.

It is reported that the best depth for a submarine to avoid detection by a hull-mounted sonar (conventionally regarded as the Sonic Layer Depth) is 100 meters+ Modern aircraft can use buoy systems, magnetic anomaly detection, and probes. Maybe he needs to watch the Discovery Channel? How is the admiral going to defend his gulf if his chinese submarines stick out like a Bangla lady boy and become an easy target?

Helicopters and airplanes can detect submarines at depths greater than 50m. Maybe the Thai navy should ask for a demonstration at the next US/Australia/Canada training exercise.

The Chinese subs are also equipped with weapons, including torpedoes and sea mines, the Navy said, adding that their safety is on par with European submarines with a double-hull body.
How does he know about the safety? What's a safer vehicle. a German designed and manufactured car or a knockoff from China? How then could the Chinese build a safe submarine? Are the Chinese known for safety or quality?

Former Democrat Party MP Watchara Petthong disapproved of the purchase. "I wonder if the move to push for the sub purchase has something to do with the commission fee,'' he said.
Wow. Integrity and honesty is still alive in Thailand.

I am trying to get PEA to transfer the electric account from the previous owner to my name. They seem reluctant to do so and I wonder if there is any reason why a farang cannot have the electric account in their name or whether the office just isnt used to dealing with foreigners. My GF is on the blue tabien baan but I hold a yellow tabien baan. They were happy to set up the direct debit in my name. Has anyone else managed? I have an appointment tomorrow with the local supervisor so a heads up would be helpful.

My friend has an unusual situation.

He and his wife owned land and a house (all in her name).

She found out she was terminally ill some months ago.

Despite that, they sold their current home and purchased new from a developer (land and house).

Sadly she passed away 2 months after they took possession.

She left a Will, bequeathing everything to her husband, but he knows he cannot own the land.

The land apparently will be placed in the hands of 4 of her sisters with a 30 year lease in my friends name.

His name alone will be on the property.

He is still continuing to pay the mortgage.

Is there anything else he should do?

Sell the property, the four sisters can borrow money from a bank with the land as surety,they don't pay the money back the bank reclaims the land and you friends thirty year lease don't mean a thing, he is out on his ass , advice from my lawyer who told me this thirty year lease deal is so insecure she refused to do it forme ,bless her.

Anyone ever hear of someone getting ED Visa from one of the Indian embassies? Not just academic interest for me: I was planning to go to India at the end of the year when my current ED Visa expires and renew there (Chennai or Kolkata)

There is only the embassy in New Deli. There are several consulates. You could contact them to find out about the visa.

See here for website links for the embassy and the consulates. http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/

Yes, sorry... I did mean Consulates rather than the actual Embassy in ND. I got a tourist visa from Kolkata some years ago no problems at all, but obviously ED Visas are a different thing. I will email, but it is always useful to see if anyone has had practical experience within India.

Anyone ever hear of someone getting ED Visa from one of the Indian embassies? Not just academic interest for me: I was planning to go to India at the end of the year when my current ED Visa expires and renew there (Chennai or Kolkata)

Why has she got hair? I've never seen a nun with hair. Oh, wait...I know...because it's just a typical superficial HiSo gesture that makes everything better. Is she going to shell out 3 million baht to the victim's family like the Red Bull punk's daddy did?

Because when becoming a nun for a short time, you don't need to cut your hair.

Liptons is the tea equivalent of Carlsberg Special Brew (or Siam Sato for Thai afficianados). It is correctly called beer, but hardly approaching anything one could call a quality product. I think someone mentioned that it is so popular as it is good for making iced tea (i.e. it's far too bland to make a "proper" cup of (milk) tea. Dilmahs Ceylon is a much better alternative

There isnt actually a rule against driving in the Vinaya (monks code of conduct) but it is actively discouraged for a number of reasons (including the one here of monk driving without tax or licence which are illegal acts) as it can bring the sangha into (more) disrepute

Tescos has an appaling range of tea. The worst. They generally don't even stock Thai tea brands which I don't really understand. Big C is much better for some reason. Tops/Rimping and the like are much much better, although you still can't get Tetley tea anywhere in Thailand for some reason. For those that don't know, the two main competitors in the UK are Tetleys and PG Tips. Most people would choose one over the other. I choose Tetleys although I have to confess that I have grown rather accustomed to Thai Number 1 Brand Tea - the Gold version is quite decent as a quaffable daily cuppa.

PG Tips - can be bought at TOPS but expensive. Normally get friends to bring box loads with them when they come over.

Liptons - shocking if you want an English cup of tea. However, it was originally produced for the English abroad when they wouldn't use the local milk. So it is quite weak thus being ok for a cup of black tea or to make iced tea.

I am always offended when offered Liptons...it is awful awful stuff. Bland and makes you want to cry at the lack of a decent tea!!

I can highly recommend Pa Auk monastery, which is a true forest monastery, and have instruction in English although this is in Burma which isn't so helpful. I am hoping that with ASEAN on the horizon, they will open the borders and let you drive over which wouldn't be that far then.

In Thailand, a friend of mine has recommended Wat Tham Doi Tohn http://vimuttidhamma.org/.

There is also Wat Umong and Wat Ram Poeng both in CM which are highly regarded in terms of the seriousness of their practice as well as Chom Tong which you have already mentioned

You can also check out the Dhammathai,org website which lists a number of temples and some background information about each one which is very helpful

In order to use the ATM card as a debit card you need to have had it registered as a Debit card as well as an ATM card. i didnt realise the difference as in the UK if you get an ATM card which cant be used as a debit card it doesnt have the "Visa" log. All I had to was go to the bank and get it registered as debit AND ATM card which took 5 mins to sort out once I knew why my card was being rejected. This is what might have happened with you.

I did recently in Hang Dong. I used a local lawyer who were OK (although I would say that I was a solicitor in the UK so I have a good understanding of legal documentation and processes so I could make appropriate amendments myself). You can PM me if you need to ask anything

Corruption has to be the biggest problem as it underpins almost everything done here

For a western orientated experience, you can try pophouse near Wat Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani. It teaches the Dhammakaya method which is the same method taught at Wat Pak Nam in Bangkok. They run 3 day courses as an introduction and is geared towards Westerners. http://pophouse.info/home/index.php In BKK itself, there is Little Bang Sangha run by an English Monk which often runs retreats.http://www.littlebang.org/ For a more Thai experience, there is Wat Amphavan in Singburi which is well known and teaches Vipassana. It is a couple of hours out of BKK. You can get a bus there from Mo Chit which drops you at the Temple gates. There is usually an English speaking nun there, but if you need instruction in English, it is best to check first. 0-3659-9381. I would mention that the Vipassana (Goenka-style) courses are very full on, and may be off-putting for newcomers or those looking to ease into meditation. There is also very little instruction on Dhamma as it is a secular-run organisation. Further afield, there are more options including Suan Mokh in Surat Thani and also retreat centres on Koh Phangan and Koh Samui that run regular retreats for foreigners (and Thais).

I would say that having lived on KPG, you pay a premium for everything there, even at 7/11 and Tesco/Big C, and for furniture, you would realistically have to go to Samui or Surat Thani, (the latter having prices to match its island and tourist status, and Surat Thani not being geared up to foreigners at all unlike somewhere like CM) so if you already have all your stuff, it is unlikely that the costs of transporting it down there would be more than buying it all again, ignoring all the hassle e.g. if you needed to take something back to Tesco Samui for example, its a full day trip, not just a quick jaunt out to the inner ring road.

I transported all my stuff from BKK to CM with Boonma Moving. They have an office in CM near the airport. They charged me 21,000B for a lorry from BKK to CM if that is any help. http://www.boonma.com/contact/

Something that also applies to only a very few (not me for one)...but I believe that you also require a yellow book as part of application for Thai citizenship.

why do you want one?. It serves no purpose except to get a confirmation of your address. This can be done with a bill with your name and address on!

That isn't correct. You can use it for a lot of things if you are a long-term resident in Thailand, including bank accounts, phone cards (post-paid) and of course driving licences and car/motorcycle ownership documents (although I appreciate that not all offices accept them, and still require certificate of residence from Immigration, but there we are). It is not a necessity, and a lot of people don't bother to do (for which read "most") but can make life easier if living here long-term as I said.