Just wanted to ask if anybody has been to the lectures referred to in the calendar below and if so, what they were like? Thinking about attending myself when I go to Bangkok next.

http://thai.calendars.net/sarathi

i was a member there some years ago , and went to a couple of the lectures they had. i cant open your link so i dont know which subjects you are interested in , but i can recommend the place and especially the library which is well stocked with books on asian culture , history , architecture , literature etc.etc. lots of thai books naturally , some rare tomes are kept behind locked doors too.

the lectures i attended were a little bit "dusty" , but this was a few years ago , they organise good field trips too.

it's an oasis of calm at the hectic asoke/sukhumvit junction.

i would recommend this institute to anybody who has a serious interest in asian and thai culture , and / or a hunger for a library stuffed with academic literature.

I'm a big fan of the 150B lectures at Siam Society. But you really need to pay attention to the subject before deciding to go. Two out of the 3 lectures I attended were very interesting and worth my time. One I had to walk out of, since it was so amazingly boring.

Thanks for the info both of you - sounds quite promising, I will definitely try it out.

What about the meditation talks mentioned? Has anyone gone to them? Always been interested in learning, but never got around to it.

The meditation talks are good too Meadish. Also you can do this at Wat Mahatat - just down from Thamasat University on the riverside. You find Section 5 and get the details in there. Monks on the door speak English.

Cheers Seonai.