Today Is The Day...

[tuky]

I do not know the whole story behind it, but today my family made a special effort to wai and tambun our car.

Every year I see it happen, the family make offerings and everyone wais the car.

Do you guys know about this? do you do it? do you know the history behind it?

We all have spirit houses for the spirits that lived on our land before we took over and made a mess, I believe this is the same for our cars? hence today being the day to appease the car spirit.

My wife had a hard time explaining it to me at first, and seeing as it only comes around once a year I have yet to learn too much about today, do you know anything about it?

cheers

tuky

This thread belongs in the buddhism forum, I will move it later but for now I think it can stay here in the general topics section.

[penelope]

no, but my driver always wais my wife and I

[Totster]

I was talking to my GF earlier and she did tell me that today is a speshun day in Thailand and that she had to go and "adore" her Buddha..... but I couldn't work out the reason why.... !! She didn't mention anything about cars though ... or motorbikes...

totster

[Dr. Jekyll]

I do not know the whole story behind it, but today my family made a special effort to wai and tambun our car.

New Benz, Tuky?

[Harry Palmer]

being a devout catholic i don't believe in all this mumbo-jumbo... no i didn't pray to the god of cars nor offer up any of my mcdonalds hamburgets to the spirits

[tuky]

Actually a new Toyota Wish, but the wife tells me that each car has a spirit that looks after it, just like your house. Hence today is the that we thank the spirit for taking care of the car and keeping us safe...

Can anyone elaborate?

[Dr. Jekyll]

Hence today is the that we thank the spirit for taking care of the car and keeping us safe...

Can anyone elaborate?

I'm not sure about the spirits taking care of the car but quite a few of the Thai people working for our company go to a temple when they buy a new car.

Before and after.

Before for the color and the day of purchase.

After for performing some ritual that is supposed to protect you from having an accident with the car.

And writing some kind of magic spell in the car, above the driver head.

So I guess it is pretty common and I also guess your explanation is right.

[Texpat]

Ain't happenin' with me.

***content offensive to the religion deleted***

Edited September 1, 2004 by sabaijai

[Dr. Jekyll]

Ain't happenin' with me.

And I see all the lovely scriptures painted on the ceiling of wrecked taxis.

Did you just register a new nickname to write that?

Not necessary, it is indeed stupid, for foreigners....

Edited September 1, 2004 by sabaijai

[tuky]

Did any of you notice an unusual amount of cars driving around today with flowers on the bonnet/grill?

[Dr. Jekyll]

Did any of you notice an unusual amount of cars driving around today with flowers on the bonnet/grill?

I did not put any.

I love Khun Thaksin like most of the Bangkok people.

I mean the educated people.

It was a sad day today....

[SeaVisionBurma]

Ain't happenin' with me.

And I see all the lovely scriptures painted on the ceiling of wrecked taxis.

Come on now, that's a bit cynical isn't it?

I live on an island. No roads, no cars. So the equivalent here is for the boats. Off to the temple every time there's a new boat, or one's been fixed, or its the start of a new season.

The monks give everything the once over, bless this and chant at that.

Everyone is poor in the village, so there's little money thrown around - instead they give what they can as offerings - fruit, flowers from the jungle, etc.

Quite nice, really.

Edited September 1, 2004 by sabaijai

[bkk barney]

it was a chinese holiday today.. nothing to do with thais..

[sbk]

Must be chinese, my husband has never heard of it. We, too, live on an island and people do this for their boats but usually it is when you get a new boat or after putting your boat back in the water (after repairs or repainting), there is not a special day for your boat (or car).

And hey, just because you don't believe in it doesn't make it foolishness. I don't believe in it either but as far as I am concerned, every little bit helps and it certainly can't hurt

[phazey]

Yeah definatly chinese - the mother in law went to Chonburi today to do something - when i asked the missus about wai'ing a car she gave me this bemused look...

[Totster]

it was a chinese holiday today.. nothing to do with thais..

Well if it was nothing to do with Thais then why did my GF think today was so special, and why did Tukyleiths Thai family feel the need to wai the car ... ???

Obviously this day is important to some Thais... It would be nice to know why..

totster

[tuky]

ตรุสจีน

according to the wife.

I have seen a lot of cars today with the flowers on their bonnet, the wife agrees it is a chinese thing but she also says many Thais also believe.

I would love to know more about this as my family gave our car a veritable feast this morning, chickedn, beef, pig, kia jii'o etc.

BTW my wife is from Udon Thani...she is Thai/Laos

[Dr. Jekyll]

my family gave our car a veritable feast this morning, chickedn, beef, pig, kia jii'o etc.

Did the car enjoy it?

Or are you bicycling now.... ?

[Totster]

ahh.... my GF lives near Kalasin.... must be something to do with Isaan/Laos then...

totster

[sbk]

Tuky, probably from the same attitude as mine, it can't hurt and it might help. Better to be safe than sorry!

But, afraid nobody around where I live has done it today, not even my part-chinese sister-in-law (wife of husband's brother).

[tuky]

Tuky, probably from the same attitude as mine, it can't hurt and it might help. Better to be safe than sorry!

But, afraid nobody around where I live has done it today, not even my part-chinese sister-in-law (wife of husband's brother).

SBK do they know anything about it?

It seems to be a big thing around here and I am in Sriracha which isn't exactly remote...

ps...thanks to all those that are laughing...perhaps you should consider how you might feel if someone laughs about your 4th of july celebration or similar!!! My wife's family is serious about this and so am I because of them...

[Dr. Jekyll]

ps...thanks to all those that are laughing...perhaps you should consider how you might feel if someone laughs about your 4th of july celebration or similar!!! My wife's family is serious about this and so am I because of them...

Tuky, relax.

We all know it is ###### serious for the Thai people.

Far, far more than a 4th of July for American people.

But it is still a laughing matter in this forum.

As it should be or there is no more forum...

[RDN]

... quite a few of the Thai people working for our company go to a temple when they buy a new car.

Before and after.

Before for the color and the day of purchase.

After for performing some ritual that is supposed to protect you from having an accident with the car.

And writing some kind of magic spell in the car, above the driver head...

My g/f made me take delivery of my new truck on a certain day of the week - a Tuesday, I think. And the next time I went to her village, we all went to a local temple and the monk blessed the car - put a gold foil covered tree ornament on the dashboard, gold foil and white paste on the inside roof, paste on the steering wheel, gear stick and finally he wrote stuff in paste on the bonnet.

Had to leave it all for three days - g/f's instructions. Still have the little tree with gold foil on the dash, and foil and paste on the roof inside.

Should've waied it before I left for bkk last week as I came back to a flat battery. Perhaps I'll move the tree ornament to the engine compartment.

[penzman]

My wife is telling me Thais with Chinese ancestry celebrate this day. Some way to thank spirits for taking good care of you and family, health, wealth etc. Even the bad spirits get treats today. It s also a day to apologize to them. It s also a day to thank relatives who are no longer among us.

I see nothing funny about it. Must be a ###### serious thing for them. I rode in Camry that had the drawings on the ceiling. I ll post the pic later on. Thought it was a cool drawing anyway.

[Rinrada]

Asked the wife about Wai-ing her car in Bangers and sure enough she does..every time.

She reconds that its just like saying hello or when leaving somewhere that is importent to them ... goodbye.

Ever noticed that when Thais leave their house its the same thing a brief about turn,quick ta-ta and off-ski.....all about keeping the spirits happy and at bay.

It does not however apply to London Buses (got pass -no vroom-vroom)

-

[Totster]

Tukyleith.... Just asked my mate's wife who is Chinese (well from Hong Kong) she doesn't know anything about it either.... very interesting....

Also googled everything I could think of as well.... nothing

totster

[tuky]

I am moving this topic to the buddhism forum now...

[Gohonzon]

I am moving this topic to the buddhism forum now...

Why?

Oh well, given some of the other highly questionable mumbo-jumbo attached to Thai Buddhism,adding yet another won't do much harm I suppose.

[tuky]

I am moving this topic to the buddhism forum now...

Why?

Oh well, given some of the other mumbo-jumbo attached to Thai Buddhism,adding another won't do any harm I suppose.

why do you think mumbo jumbo gohonzon?

if it is good enough for my wife to respect it is good enough for me to want to find out more about it...as strange as some things may be to us farangs it is natural to a Thai Buddhist.

The conviction that I saw this morning from my family only leads me to believe that persisting with my quest to find out more about this is the right thing to do, and that it is not mumbo jumbo...

[Gohonzon]

why do you think mumbo jumbo gohonzon?

I have nothing against Thai traditions whatsoever.Loi Krathong is one of the most beautiful festivals that I've ever encountered.

But perhaps you'd care to enlighten me as to just what wai-ing to a motor car has to do with Buddhism-Thai,or otherwise.That's all I was questioning.