A Day in a Thai Temple in Florida USA

[bwpage3]

My wife and I recently went to the Thai Temple in our town for the first time.

 

One of my wife's friends worked there in the food court for a spell and seems to know all the gossip of each and every Thai there.

 

This temple thrives on a large screened in food court, selling Thai food and Noodles on the weekends.

 

The majority of the people eating there seem to be American's and their families, with no Thai relations at all.

 

The cost is donation only, however, after you get your food and are directed to the donation box, you are TOLD the price of the donation by the lady guarding the donation box and making change?????????

 

For 2 Thai small Thai sausages  and a small portion of sticky rice, the cost was US $8 or almost 250 thb.

 

What the hell?

 

What kind of donation is a fixed over-price?

 

The Thai temple crowd appears to a majority of the older aged mamasan's that donate their labor to the food court each weekend and others trying to sell their over-priced food and wares.

 

There appears to always be some kind of skirmish for control of the temple, as who ever controls the temple controls all the money.

 

The previous lady that ran the temple opened a Thai Buffet restaurant in town that consequently went out of business. She has been accused of taking money from the temple to fund that failed venture.

 

She still shows up at the temple every weekend acting like nothing has happened????

 

There are now a couple of cliques interested in taking over the temple, accusing the current mamasan of taking money as well?

 

There seems to me to very little religion about the entire place and all about getting control of the temple and the money.

 

The Temple rents out spots each week for US $50+ so other Thai's can come in and sell their food or wares at ridiculous prices as well.

 

A sugar cane drink is over 150 baht.

 

The whole precipice about this temple seems to be making money as many of these older Thai's have no education and no ability to get a real job in the town.

 

I would suspect this is their only source of income?

 

My wife's friend pointed out one Thai lady in her late 30's with fake boobs was working as a stripper in Cocoa Beach, even though she has been on overstay for a few years.

 

There is the group of older farangs, many who had lived in a Thailand, sitting around spinning tales of how life use to be, while chasing their <10 year old kids around.

 

No one that I could observe follows any rules related to temple dress code.

 

Rarely ever see the monks involved in anything. 

 

What I found odd was that I did not see very many, a few couples (farang/Thai)

 

Lots of old ladies hustling for money, lots of old farang men sitting around, that is about it.

 

It is amazing some of these Thai people have been in the US 20 years and their English is just as bad as it was 20 years previously.

 

No advancement in society or anything else.

 

It is funny to see the Thai vendors ripping off their Thai counterparts with exorbitant prices, but the Thai-ness definitely continues.

 

You can actually re-live a lot of the bad that goes on in Thailand right here in the USA.

 

Same Same but different country.

 

 

 

 

[55Jay]

You may feel like you aren't part of "that" group but in reality, you are.

 

Can you imagine what your fellow numpties there were saying about you and your Thai Princess?  ?⬆️

[mogandave]

Where in FL?

[mogandave]

Melbourne?

I wintered in Taft from ‘78 to ‘88.

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

My wife's friend pointed out one Thai lady in her late 30's with fake boobs was working as a stripper in Cocoa Beach, even though she has been on overstay for a few years.

Classic.

[ukrules]

4 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

The Thai temple crowd appears to a majority of the older aged mamasan's that donate their labor to the food court each weekend and others trying to sell their over-priced food and wares. 

 

You should be grateful, this sounds like a reasonably authentic experience to me.

[inThailand]

Just like LOS, cash only business and skirt paying taxes, albeit its a non taxable religious front. There's no place like home...theres no place home... 

[Briggsy]

That's a great review. I will send that to my buddy.

[BarnicaleBob]

My wife and I stop in that same temple on the weekend every time we go to the States visiting family in the Melbourne area of Florida.  Being that we don't live there, we are unaware of the temple politics there but the description of the place and people attending fits to what we have seen.  Also the prices of donations is right on to what we paid.  But keep in mind, Thai food always cost a lot more in America than it does here in Thailand, so we accepted the prices without much concern other than that, we will not eat there often.   

Edited September 20, 2018 by BarnicaleBob

[orang37]

Your description of this Wat and its administration is not credible. Monks ? Abbot ?

 

I think you are just repeating gossip, and allegations. and/or you have some kind of axe to grind.

 

Check out the Wat's web page:  Wat Punya, Melbourne, Florida

 

~o:37;

[bwpage3]

18 hours ago, mogandave said:

Melbourne?

I wintered in Taft from ‘78 to ‘88.

Correct it is in Melbourne

[bwpage3]

15 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

You should be grateful, this sounds like a reasonably authentic experience to me.

Why should I be grateful? I am not Thai and could care less about it.

 

I had 10 years of the authentic experience in Thai.

 

 

[bwpage3]

1 hour ago, BarnicaleBob said:

My wife and I stop in that same temple on the weekend every time we go to the States visiting family in the Melbourne area of Florida.  Being that we don't live there, we are unaware of the temple politics there but the description of the place and people attending fits to what we have seen.  Also the prices of donations is right on to what we paid.  But keep in mind, Thai food always cost a lot more in America than it does here in Thailand, so we accepted the prices without much concern other than that, we will not eat there often.   

Good points.

 

It is actually cheaper to eat in a Thai restaurant than the temple food court prices.

[bwpage3]

1 hour ago, orang37 said:

Your description of this Wat and its administration is not credible. Monks ? Abbot ?

 

I think you are just repeating gossip, and allegations. and/or you have some kind of axe to grind.

 

Check out the Wat's web page:  Wat Punya, Melbourne, Florida

 

~o:37;

Why do you I need to check out a website when I was there in person and posted photos?

 

Axe to grind? You are really reaching on that one fella.

 

I am not Thai and could care less.

 

This is a post for people that may or may not be interested.

 

As others have posted that have been there, the description is right on

 

Your post is just another bitter post with no fact or substance to back it up.

 

Move on friend, you are already detached from reality.

[ericthai]

 

" It is amazing some of these Thai people have been in the US 20 years and their English is just as bad as it was 20 years previously."

 

Plenty of expats living in thailand 20+  years and still dobt speak any thai.  

 

[timendres]

On 9/19/2018 at 9:56 PM, bwpage3 said:

What kind of donation is a fixed over-price?

It is a government / tax-status thing. You are really paying a "price".

But in order to qualify as a tax-exempt religious institution, and not pay taxes, it must be called a "donation".

[MyFriend You]

12 hours ago, BarnicaleBob said:

My wife and I stop in that same temple on the weekend every time we go to the States visiting family in the Melbourne area of Florida.  Being that we don't live there, we are unaware of the temple politics there but the description of the place and people attending fits to what we have seen.  Also the prices of donations is right on to what we paid.  But keep in mind, Thai food always cost a lot more in America than it does here in Thailand, so we accepted the prices without much concern other than that, we will not eat there often.   

Yes, just try & buy Lemon Grass or Ginger in the local supermarket - I saw Ginger root for $19 a lb (half kilo)

[meechai]

2 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Yes, just try & buy Lemon Grass or Ginger in the local supermarket - I saw Ginger root for $19 a lb (half kilo)

Yeah my wife grows everything she needs...Lemon Grass, Kefir Lime leaves, grachai , garlika, cumin, even the little green ball style squash  etc etc

[bwpage3]

9 hours ago, meechai said:

Yeah my wife grows everything she needs...Lemon Grass, Kefir Lime leaves, grachai , garlika, cumin, even the little green ball style squash  etc etc

Earlier in the year we planted Nom Doc Mai Mango trees, Papaya, Khafir Lime, Lychee, Longan, Navel Orange, Peach, Guava and Cherry trees. 

 

Durian prices are out of sight as well.

 

 

[tifino]

if the thainess of that temple gets too over the top thai... 

with your mrs blessings - search out for a Laos one! they will be somewhere!

as the Isaan Thai are the one that will be populating it,

and being Isaan there will be hardly any of those money hungry Central Thai types within cooee of it!

 

 

we have here done that very thing! we're ummm,  in Melbourne (Australia)

 

Edited September 21, 2018 by tifino

[mpyre]

Was there anything you didn't like about the place?

Edited September 21, 2018 by mpyre

[gk10002000]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:10 PM, mogandave said:

Where in FL?

This is in Melbourne FL.  I work and live nearby and go now and then.  Not a big temple but a pretty place.  There is a bigger one not too far west in Kissimmee that I mean to get to this weekend.  

[gk10002000]

I don't know what he means by donation.  The prices for food are pretty much listed.  Fried rice, Pad Thai, Issaan Sausages, penang curry dishes, etc.  Another line has Thai soup.  There are a few other stalls often there outside that sell Mango and sticky rice with the coconut sauce.  Bottled water costs a buck.  Now sometimes some lady walks around with a big bowl and puts in your face and pretty much demands a donation.  I always drop a few bucks inside the small temple hall where the buddha statues are. That is usually air conditioned and feels good to sit and relax and  "chill out" for a while

[marcusarelus]

On 9/20/2018 at 5:51 PM, bwpage3 said:

Why should I be grateful? I am not Thai and could care less about it.

 

I had 10 years of the authentic experience in Thai.

For a guy who could care less all of your posts are vehemently anti Thai.  An authentic experience would be a happy one in my experience.  What happened to you to make you so bitter that you would come back to a Thai centric website and try and ruin Thailand's reputation?