What Factors Influenced Your Decision To Move To Thailand Permanently

[cm-happy]

What factors influenced your decision to pack up and move to Thailand permanently.

Please posters--If your not actually living in Thailand permanently or just an ocasional visitor, your welcome to contribute, but would prefer to hear mostly from the permanent folks.

I'll start the ball rolling by giving my reasons for moving here.

I've move here in late 2001, after multiple visits as a tourist. My reasons are, in no particular order of significance.

1. easier to be openly gay here than in home country (US). No fear here of getting beat up or even killed for being gay.

2. a converted Buddhist. want to live my life in a Buddhist country. Yes, seems that converts take it more seriously than being born one way or another regardless of faith. Its a bitch in the US finding a temple, or monks to talk with. Some in LA, but a long way to go from the east coast. Yeah lots of meditation centers with new age freaks running around with pyramids on the heads LOL.

3. See # 2. Wanted to ordain temporarily. Accomplished.

4. Financial Not really rich, but quite comfortable. Could not have the same life style in the west as I have here. Had at one time also considered Nederlands, but more bang for the buck here in Thailand.

5. Thais people and culture. Yes, this maybe a cliche, everyone says the same thing.

6. escape from US, the corporate rat race.

7 See # 6--Have always wanted to live overseas(wanderlust).

Anyone else care to contribute??

[peter991]

cm-happy: Thanks for your post. I am still 18 months away from living in Thailand permanently. I visit 4 times a year now.

I think answer number 1 - easier to be openly gay in Thailand would be my number 1 reason too. Being gay in Australia is fine if you live in Sydney or Melbourne - but not possible anywhere else - especially a country town. My Thai BF is on a tourist visa now - he was lucky the other evening - his lack of English saved his skin ...

In Thailand, the 2 of us can wander into ANY bar and have a quiet drink - without being discriminated against. Australia just had a landmark ruling today - enabling a hotel to ban heterosexuals. I hope Thailand never gets to this

Peter

[Naam]

"What factors influenced your decision to pack up and move to Thailand permanently."

no income tax. as simple as that.

[idle44mins]

I decided to make the move in 2003.

Reasons:

1. Of course the people and the country.

2. The Thai way of life: work to survive and not the other way around

3. Prefered a less materialistic life. Just sabaai sabaai.

4. The climate.

5. Being gay is not a sin here; although some people find it hard to accept that men like men.

6. Income tax+insurances decreased from 55% to 6%

7. I was searching for something.........and I still am.

[Weho]

I find that being "gay" here is much better here, mostly because MOST people, not all, but MOST people could care less one way or the other. And especially the other "farangs" here, from what I can tell, they don't care if you're gay or not. Which is, of course the way it should be. The truth is, I don't want someone to just "accept" that someone else is gay, I want them to NOT CARE if someone else is gay or not. In this respect, Thailand is far ahead of most "western" countries.

[chuck_s]

The major reason why I moved here to Thailand from the U.S.A.

1. Get the hel_l away from my bigoted family and their lives.

2. Finally living a life that is more comfortable and I am content with the little things Thailand has to offer, both positive and negative.

3. Better opportunity for bus, social and cultural interaction with people from other countries. Back in the U.S. NO!!!

[farang prince]

I live in Thailand six months of the year and in the USA for six months. The reasons Thailand was attractive to me:

1. I met my ladyboy here. Although ladyboys are not universally welcomed in Thailand, they are at least accepted. The only other country where this acceptance is so universal is the Philippines, but that country has too high a crime rate for my liking.

2. The cost of living was very attractive. Even splitting our time between Thailand and the USA, I am able to stretch my income substantially.

3. I love the climate. As I get older, my old war wounds and my aging joints react better to hot weather. It's one reason we moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, instead of staying in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.

4. I enjoy the country and its people. Thailand is a fascinating place, especially if you dig beneath the surface and really get to understand the culture and meet a variety of Thais. But I feel this requires an understanding of the language, which can take a lot of time. But it is worth the effort. Despite what you read in the derogatory comments from ex-pats who really don't understand the people and culture here, Thai people are really remarkable and can teach you some incredible life lessons.

5. After years as a soldier and 20 years as a cop in the USA, I yearned for a quiet, serene life. I found it in Thailand. You can create any lifestyle you want here. You can live like we do...go out for dinner two or three nights a week and have friends in for dinner one night a week. Or you can be a whore dog and hit the go-go bars and massage parlors every night. Or prowl the bars every night looking for Mr. Right. When you come here, your slate is clean. The choice will be yours. The beauty of it is that Thailand gives you just about any option you would want.

My biggest problem now is that my partner wants to stay in the USA year-round. She loves the Southwest USA. So I have to drag her kicking and screaming back to her home country every fall. It might be even harder this year if the political situation in Thailand descends into chaos.

[lazeeboy]

I live in Thailand six months of the year and in the USA for six months. The reasons Thailand was attractive to me:

1. I met my ladyboy here. Although ladyboys are not universally welcomed in Thailand, they are at least accepted. The only other country where this acceptance is so universal is the Philippines, but that country has too high a crime rate for my liking.

2. The cost of living was very attractive. Even splitting our time between Thailand and the USA, I am able to stretch my income substantially.

3. I love the climate. As I get older, my old war wounds and my aging joints react better to hot weather. It's one reason we moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, instead of staying in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.

4. I enjoy the country and its people. Thailand is a fascinating place, especially if you dig beneath the surface and really get to understand the culture and meet a variety of Thais. But I feel this requires an understanding of the language, which can take a lot of time. But it is worth the effort. Despite what you read in the derogatory comments from ex-pats who really don't understand the people and culture here, Thai people are really remarkable and can teach you some incredible life lessons.

5. After years as a soldier and 20 years as a cop in the USA, I yearned for a quiet, serene life. I found it in Thailand. You can create any lifestyle you want here. You can live like we do...go out for dinner two or three nights a week and have friends in for dinner one night a week. Or you can be a whore dog and hit the go-go bars and massage parlors every night. Or prowl the bars every night looking for Mr. Right. When you come here, your slate is clean. The choice will be yours. The beauty of it is that Thailand gives you just about any option you would want.

My biggest problem now is that my partner wants to stay in the USA year-round. She loves the Southwest USA. So I have to drag her kicking and screaming back to her home country every fall. It might be even harder this year if the political situation in Thailand descends into chaos.

to get away from the rat race,no need to keep up with the jones and have a new car/house /double glazing etc here a honda wave will do

[geriatrickid]

3. See # 2. Wanted to ordain temporarily. Accomplished.

I have to wonder whether you were ordained at a wat that follows Theravada Buddhism. Gays are not supposed to be ordained. Katoeys are distinctly prohibited from ordination. One of the most famous incidents involving the ostracization of homosexuals occurred in 2003 when well known religious leader Phra Pisarn Thammapatee spoke out. He is quoted as requesting that homosexual monks be disrobed. And so it goes.

The current position in mainstream Bhuddism is that celibacy is the ideal. Homosexuality is viewed as a hedonistic lifestyle and a willful violation of ethical and natural principles. This is inculcated into students at wat schools.

Even the the Dalai Lama, the poster boy for giving warm and fuzzy feelings is not gay friendly. He's toned down his public statements in recent years so as not to alienate his western supporters;

So [in] the Buddhist [tradition], man-to-man, woman-to-woman same sort of sex, that is considered sexual misconduct. So, [it] should [be] avoided [by believing Buddhists].

Source: Sun Valley News Thurs. Sept. 15, 2005, "Dalai Lama Meets Idaho religious Leaders" - Gary Stivers.

My point to all you folks that think you are being welcomed and that no one minds your homosexuality- You are delusional. The locals just don't come out and tell you what they are really thinking. Walk behind a western gay couple and you will see and hear the amused looks and snickers. In private conversations, my friends express profound contempt for western homosexuals to the point that I have to ask myself if I am talking to a normal 27 year old from bangkok or to a 72 year old from a small farming village in Poland. Walk away from the Thai gay ghettos that most westerners live in and the attitude is very different. It is no different than in many western countries.

Sure Thailand may seem like paradise for some westerners, but remember that there is no recourse when there is discrimination or injustice. If your b/f beats you up, the police may come but they really won't intervene as they will in north america or the EU. What they can do is laugh about the incident. The reality is that western homosexuals are tolerated because they will pay for goods and services rendered.

I attended a reception in late March where there were a number of local heavyweights. They made the same gay jokes and comments when a known gay walked by just as they are apt to do in the west.

I felt the need to respond to this because some poor harrassed guy from Buttplug Nebraska or Armpitville, England is going to read the threads and think, wow, they'll embrace me and we can all run about under a bright rainbow etc. Acceptance can be found anywhere. Moving to Thailand doesn't mean it will happen.

[endure]

3. See # 2. Wanted to ordain temporarily. Accomplished.

I have to wonder whether you were ordained at a wat that follows Theravada Buddhism. Gays are not supposed to be ordained. Katoeys are distinctly prohibited from ordination. One of the most famous incidents involving the ostracization of homosexuals occurred in 2003 when well known religious leader Phra Pisarn Thammapatee spoke out. He is quoted as requesting that homosexual monks be disrobed. And so it goes.

The current position in mainstream Bhuddism is that celibacy is the ideal. Homosexuality is viewed as a hedonistic lifestyle and a willful violation of ethical and natural principles. This is inculcated into students at wat schools.

If a monk is celibate (as all monks should be) what does it matter whether they are hetero or homo sexual?

[endure]

My point to all you folks that think you are being welcomed and that no one minds your homosexuality- You are delusional. The locals just don't come out and tell you what they are really thinking. Walk behind a western gay couple and you will see and hear the amused looks and snickers. In private conversations, my friends express profound contempt for western homosexuals to the point that I have to ask myself if I am talking to a normal 27 year old from bangkok or to a 72 year old from a small farming village in Poland. Walk away from the Thai gay ghettos that most westerners live in and the attitude is very different. It is no different than in many western countries.

It is VERY different than in many western countries. This is an argument that ran 10 years ago on Usenet in soc.culture.thai. There was a CMU professor (Ajahn Samart anyone) who'd spent some time in the US who couldn't understand the attraction of Thailand for farang gays. He said, the same as you. that many Thai people sniggered at homosexuality. It wasn't until someone pointed out that in the west we don't snigger at gays, we hospitalise them, that he understood the difference. If you aren't gay you won't understand. That's not special pleading - it's a fact that straight folks simply won't get.

[Rainwalker]

I'm arriving in 2 weeks and expect that, after many many trips since 1982, I'll be staying permanently.

The factors in my decision to move are, in random order, as follows...

1) The availability of sex with handsome lads,

2) I have friends here,

3) I like the beach,

4) I like the people,

5) The more cooperative nature of the culture,

6) The availability of sex with handsome lads,

7) I need a challenge,

8) The climate, and

9) The availability of sex with handsome lads.

Did I mention the availability of sex with handsome lads?

[geriatrickid]

If a monk is celibate (as all monks should be) what does it matter whether they are hetero or homo sexual?

In respect to fully ordained monks (the ones that have the 227 rules), I believe the logic for the position is that gay people can be a corrupting influence if they are unable to maintain their balance. "Suggestive speech or physical contact with lustful intent, is forbidden and the assumption is that a homosexual may inadvertently revert to his tendancies." This is explained in the "Story of the Prohibition of the Ordination of Pandaka" from the Vinaya. An example of a monk with an unchecked desire to be sodomised by men, which brought shame upon the entire Buddhist community.

I also understand that people with deformities, dwarves and the deaf are banned as well. It should also be stressed that there is no condemnation, nor castgation as in many other religions.

This probably reads as a negative interpretation, but if you disagree, please read up on the subject. One of the best things about Bhuddism is that one is allowed to question and discuss the views. No one gets beheaded as an infidel or burnt at the stake as a heretic for questioning. And yes there are dissenting views to the above statements.

Edited June 19, 2007 by geriatrickid

[geriatrickid]

It wasn't until someone pointed out that in the west we don't snigger at gays, we hospitalise them, that he understood the difference. If you aren't gay you won't understand. That's not special pleading - it's a fact that straight folks simply won't get.

The majority of gay males in Thailand come from Scandanavia, Germany, the UK and the USA. Homosexuals in those countries haven't been hospitalised for their "condition" since the 1960's. Homosexuals are still imprisoned and brutalised in the middle east, China and Russia as a matter of public policy. Iran gets a blue ribbon for hanging kids engaged in harmless acts of consensual sex.

If your reasoning holds then we should also see a large number of lesbians in Thailand and alot of gay people from countries where being gay is a crime. Has there been a spike in gay russians or middle easterners resettling? Why isn't there a large western lesbian population?

[endure]

It wasn't until someone pointed out that in the west we don't snigger at gays, we hospitalise them, that he understood the difference. If you aren't gay you won't understand. That's not special pleading - it's a fact that straight folks simply won't get.

The majority of gay males in Thailand come from Scandanavia, Germany, the UK and the USA. Homosexuals in those countries haven't been hospitalised for their "condition" since the 1960's. Homosexuals are still imprisoned and brutalised in the middle east, China and Russia as a matter of public policy. Iran gets a blue ribbon for hanging kids engaged in harmless acts of consensual sex.

If your reasoning holds then we should also see a large number of lesbians in Thailand and alot of gay people from countries where being gay is a crime. Has there been a spike in gay russians or middle easterners resettling? Why isn't there a large western lesbian population?

I wasn't talking about hospitalisation by the medical fraternity, I was talking about the fact that they did, and still do have, violence committed against them by members of the general public, simply because they're homosexual.

[PeaceBlondie]

It wasn't until someone pointed out that in the west we don't snigger at gays, we hospitalise them, that he understood the difference. If you aren't gay you won't understand. That's not special pleading - it's a fact that straight folks simply won't get.

The majority of gay males in Thailand come from Scandanavia, Germany, the UK and the USA. Homosexuals in those countries haven't been hospitalised for their "condition" since the 1960's. Homosexuals are still imprisoned and brutalised in the middle east, China and Russia as a matter of public policy. Iran gets a blue ribbon for hanging kids engaged in harmless acts of consensual sex. ......

I wasn't talking about hospitalisation by the medical fraternity, I was talking about the fact that they did, and still do have, violence committed against them by members of the general public, simply because they're homosexual.

Without due respect for geriatrickid, I suspect he didn't understand the hospitalization reference (being emergency care for trauma inflicted by homophobic bashers) because....he just wouldn't have thought of it.

There's a grain of truth, though, in what he says, amongst his Buddhist homophobia: that generally, lots of Thais are tolerant, not accepting, about gay people. However, I challenge his apparent assertion that "The majority of gay males in Thailand come from Scandanavia, Germany, the UK and the USA." No, they come from Krungthep, Lampang, Loei, Prae, Prachuap Khirikin, Roi-Et, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Chonburi, Minburi, Phetchaburi, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi, Lamphun...and those are just the ones I can think of offhand.

[dukkha]

Well PB thanks for your litany of thai provinces.. my partner comes from the province of

Roi Et...he knew from the age of 10 years that he was 'gay' which is a western nomenclature

in Thai culture..now I am unaware as to what point you were actually making in your post..gay thai

men are not bounded by what province they may come from..their gayness is is not linked to any geographical location..They are what they are..Homosexuality Without Borders Dukkha

[endure]

PB was making the point that the majority of gay males in Thailand come from Thailand rather than farangland.

[geriatrickid]

I wasn't talking about hospitalisation by the medical fraternity, I was talking about the fact that they did, and still do have, violence committed against them by members of the general public, simply because they're homosexual.

You specifically referenced hospitalisation. if you were refering to physical abuse then perhaps this should have been stated.

Do you know what the number one source of gay "violence" is in the countries I cited? It's domestic partner related and not random gay bashing. Sure there are gay bashings, but not to the extent that you may believe. The gay communities in the cited countries do have a voice and the ability to respond and they made a concerted effort to encourage tolerance and it worked. Not perfectly, but they made a gigantic difference.. I do not deny that there is violence to gays, the difference now is that it is when it does happen there is a legal response.

Educate me; what is the legal response to domestic partner abuse in Thailand, particularly gay partner abuse? Are the police obliged to investigate? To mandate an immediate separation or arrest and prosecution of the offending partner? One of the dark secrets of the gay community in Thailand is that there is alot of domestic battering going on involving westerners.

I acknowledge that Thailand is certainly a better place for some foreign gay people to live, but when they run into trouble the social service net isn't there. There is no suicide intervention program and there is no wide distribution of alcohol and drug abuse response programs accessible to westerners. Thai treatment programs are geared for the Thai clients.

I am now completely off track and my comments are better placed in a discussion of expat health problems and why westerners die at a younger age in Thailand than they do in their native lands. So let's just agree to disagree and I will stop buggering up someone's thread.

[dukkha]

Thanks for your enlightenment of the enduring genre...my weary brain just didn't grasp the point with the alacrity I had hoped...

PB was making the point that the majority of gay males in Thailand come from Thailand rather than farangland.

[smeggy]

Educate me; what is the legal response to domestic partner abuse in Thailand, particularly gay partner abuse? ... One of the dark secrets of the gay community in Thailand is that there is a lot of domestic battering going on involving westerners.

It's easy ... cut off the money flow

[endure]

I wasn't talking about hospitalisation by the medical fraternity, I was talking about the fact that they did, and still do have, violence committed against them by members of the general public, simply because they're homosexual.

You specifically referenced hospitalisation. if you were refering to physical abuse then perhaps this should have been stated.

As Peaceblondie says you probably wouldn't have thought of my mention of hospitalisation as a reference to gay-bashing. Most other western gay readers of the forum would have got the implication immediately.

Do you know what the number one source of gay "violence" is in the countries I cited? It's domestic partner related and not random gay bashing. Sure there are gay bashings, but not to the extent that you may believe. The gay communities in the cited countries do have a voice and the ability to respond and they made a concerted effort to encourage tolerance and it worked. Not perfectly, but they made a gigantic difference.. I do not deny that there is violence to gays, the difference now is that it is when it does happen there is a legal response.

There's plenty of low-level anti gay violence abroad in the west. Much of it goes unreported. The fact that there's a legal response is precisely the point I was making. There's no legal response to specifically anti-gay violence in Thailand because there's little or no anti-gay violence in the first place.

Educate me; what is the legal response to domestic partner abuse in Thailand, particularly gay partner abuse? Are the police obliged to investigate? To mandate an immediate separation or arrest and prosecution of the offending partner? One of the dark secrets of the gay community in Thailand is that there is alot of domestic battering going on involving westerners.

I've no idea but as domestic violence isn't specifically a gay issue it's not relevant to the original post.

I acknowledge that Thailand is certainly a better place for some foreign gay people to live, but when they run into trouble the social service net isn't there. There is no suicide intervention program and there is no wide distribution of alcohol and drug abuse response programs accessible to westerners. Thai treatment programs are geared for the Thai clients.

Anyone (gay or straight) who moves to Thailand to take advantage of the social services on offer has moved to the wrong place.

To quote Peaceblondie:

"There's a grain of truth, though, in what he says, amongst his Buddhist homophobia: that generally, lots of Thais are tolerant, not accepting, about gay people. "

I have to tell you that tolerance is much more acceptable than a punch in the nose.

[PeaceBlondie]

And whilst we're amongst these non-gay posters here lately in the gay forum, who wish to tell us everything that's evil or wrong about gay life in Thailand (even from a Buddhist perspective, ostensibly), let me repeat what endure stated recently: we do not have to justify our gayness in this forum. We do not have to defend our choices as mutually consenting adults. Further posts which appear to only be verbal bashing of gay life will be deleted, possibly with penalties to those who post them.

Straight posters are still welcome to make non-condemnatory remarks. This forum is gay-friendly.

[farang prince]

And whilst we're amongst these non-gay posters here lately in the gay forum, who wish to tell us everything that's evil or wrong about gay life in Thailand (even from a Buddhist perspective, ostensibly), let me repeat what endure stated recently: we do not have to justify our gayness in this forum. We do not have to defend our choices as mutually consenting adults. Further posts which appear to only be verbal bashing of gay life will be deleted, possibly with penalties to those who post them.

Straight posters are still welcome to make non-condemnatory remarks. This forum is gay-friendly.

[Mat268]

...what influenced me to come over to Thailand .....???

...the airline and tour operator l was working for at the time (20 years ago) sent me here to set up a team to open their new route Gatwick UK to Bangkok Don Muang.......stayed at one of the very few top class hotels (in those days) the Meanam and Asia Hotel (with our crews).................

...after 18 years was granted Thai residency........no reason to go home........

[Pawpcorn]

Well PB thanks for your litany of thai provinces.. my partner comes from the province of

Roi Et...he knew from the age of 10 years that he was 'gay' which is a western nomenclature

in Thai culture..now I am unaware as to what point you were actually making in your post..gay thai

men are not bounded by what province they may come from..their gayness is is not linked to any geographical location..They are what they are..Homosexuality Without Borders Dukkha

My Thai boyfriend has made the absolute statement to me that Gay Thais are NOT welcome in the smaller towns of all the various providences of Thailand... not welcome at all. (He's from Udon, in north eastern Thailand) Soooo... just like in America (where I am from) they pack it up and move to the more liberal-thinking big cities of Bangkok or Chaeng Mai, as soon as they can, where, (happy to say) being gay is no big thing.

In America, I had made the mistake of taking a job [outside of (gay-friendly) West Hollywood,] in Orange County, a very conservative area. I ended up getting fired(!) for having the witch-hunting HR person who was on his own "crusade" discover a picture hidden behind my monitor in a very non-trafficed area... of what was, as I was being handed by pink-slip...described as... "a boy in underware".

What a crock.

WHAT IT WAS, was a picture of my Thai "boyfriend" (or so I thought "boyfriend" at the time, but that is a tale for another day) whom I had met on the Internet, who was 19, in a photo in Thai-style swimming briefs, reclining on the beach at Pattaya, with two bottles of beer in front of him.

Boy in underware, indeed.

It was the final betrayal of gay life in America for me, the very final straw. Even though I had never even been to Thailand before, I took a huge leap of faith, prayed like crazy, cashed in as much stuff as fast as i could, left most of my stuff behind (to be stolen by my son, as it turned out...) bought a plane ticket for Bangkok, and came here with only $6000 in my pocket.

I almost didn't make it here... I survived with key help from new farang angels I met here...

My Internet Thai boyfriend (who had told me he would love me forever) went back to his OTHER farang boyfriend after I was here 4 days, after I balked at setting him up in a 25,000 Baht / month condo lol.

Lesson Number One. In Thailand... "Forever" can mean 4 days. lol

Even so, after I was here 8 days... I felt so much "more at home here" than I have felt my entire adult life, in the states.

It took me 3 Thai boyfriends (and MANY lessons about the MAJOR differences between the concepts of LOVE as understood and practiced by farang, and Thai Love, followed by high-speed adaptation by yours truly) before I met my current wonderful Thai boyfriend.

I haven't been here but 1 year (in two weeks!) but we have been together since the night we met 9 months ago, and I thank Buddha, on a DAILY basis, for the miracle of his love and friendship. He is the best friend and best boyfriend and best lover I have ever had.

I don't plan on leaving. I feel Thailand may be the last "FREE" country in the world.

Pawpcorn

[thaicurious]

Even the the Dalai Lama, the poster boy for giving warm and fuzzy feelings is not gay friendly. He's toned down his public statements in recent years so as not to alienate his western supporters;

So [in] the Buddhist [tradition], man-to-man, woman-to-woman same sort of sex, that is considered sexual misconduct. So, [it] should [be] avoided [by believing Buddhists].

Source: Sun Valley News Thurs. Sept. 15, 2005, "Dalai Lama Meets Idaho religious Leaders" - Gary Stivers.

as a point of clarification is it possible that you took this a bit out of context to prove what might otherwise be a valid case (i don't know as i do not have the facts).

here is the full quote i believe taken out of context:

"On same-sex [issues], I think [for the] believer and non-believer, we have to make a distinction. To a believer, according to one’s own teaching, you should follow. So [in] the Buddhist [tradition], man-to-man, woman-to-woman same sort of sex, that is considered sexual misconduct. So, [it] should [be] avoided [by believing Buddhists].

“Then, according the Christians or Muslims and their own tradition and teaching, they should [not do so]. Then, [among] nonbelievers, sometimes I heard those people, gay people, they face some kind of discrimination. I think that goes a little bit too far. I think nonbelievers, so far, so long as no harm is involved, then I think it’s up to [the] individual. So that’s my view. But I feel closer relations are better. Ha ha ha."

it seems to me he neither condemned nor condoned gay life. and certainly he seems to support human rights for gays.

following is from 1997 per web site www.tibet.ca/en/wtnarchive/1997/6/18_2.html

(the underlining is my emphasis for the purpose of this post)

"In a warm, relaxed meeting, the Dalai Lama sought to clarify his

understanding of traditional Buddhist tests concerning sexuality and

empathized with participants' concerns and frustrations about the unfairness

of the prohibitions for gays and lesbians. Traditional Buddhist teaching

prohibits certain sexual activities for practicing Buddhists, including

homosexual acts for men (and by implication, he said, for women). He

expressed his willingness to consider the possibility that some of these

teachings may be specific to a particular cultural and historical context.

He stressed that he does not have the authority to unilaterally reinterpret

Buddhist scriptures, but urged those present to build a consensus among

other Buddhist traditions and communities to collectively change the

understanding of the text for contemporary society. His Holiness expressed

interest in the insights of modern scientific research and its value in

developing new understandings of these texts.

"His Holiness the Dalai Lama was characteristically open and non-judgmental.

As Head of State of an occupied country and as a celibate religious leader,

I think he has not spent much time considering issues of sexuality, gay

rights, and homophobia. Yet he welcomed our suggestion that these issues be

explored in conjunction with upcoming conferences," said Eva Herzer,

President of the International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet."

ps, i would just like to add that i very much appreciate the posts of all of you describing what brought you to thailand. i find it very inspirational.