Visa Advice For Farang Wanting To Ordain.

[xianer]

I need some help. I am supposed to be going to a Wat in the Northeast in August. But I don't know what kind of visa I should have before I go. I am from the USA. I have a letter from the Wat stating that I can come but it is not from the abbot, rather from the guest monk. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ThaiPauly]

Try posting your question in the Bhuddism forum as well.

It cant do any harm

I hope all goes well for you

TP

[Pink Mist]

dont post again, I'll move it

[vinny]

A letter from the abbot would probably be more appropriate. As for visa category, see Non-Immigrant Visa. Perhaps

to study as a foreign Buddhist monk (Category "ED")

You should ask the Royal Thai Embassy.

[naka]

Mistook.

Edited April 24, 2006 by naka

[xianer]

A letter from the abbot would probably be more appropriate. As for visa category, see Non-Immigrant Visa. Perhaps

to study as a foreign Buddhist monk (Category "ED")

You should ask the Royal Thai Embassy.

I don't think I can get a letter from the abbot. One monk I talked to recommended a non-immigrant O visa. What are the chance of me getting one of these?

[ColPyat]

A letter from the abbot would probably be more appropriate. As for visa category, see Non-Immigrant Visa. Perhaps

to study as a foreign Buddhist monk (Category "ED")

You should ask the Royal Thai Embassy.

I don't think I can get a letter from the abbot. One monk I talked to recommended a non-immigrant O visa. What are the chance of me getting one of these?

If you can't get a letter from the abbot i would maybe think twice before ordaining in that temple. Maybe it might be useful to just come here first and have a look yourself first at many different temples before ordaining? There are all sorts of temples here.

A non immigrant O visa should be not too difficult from your homecountry and is far easier to get converted into the particular non imm you will need. But even tourist visas can be converted.

[jdinasia]

almost depends on where you are in the USA if you want a non-imm-o with the wrong initial letter ... but if you are near Denver (they have an honorary consulate there) it shouldn't be a problem ... ask for non-imm-o multi entry if you plan on being ordained for more than 3 months ... but honestly it shouldn't matter ..... any should be able to be changed to a 1 year visa after you are here!

DO make sure you get some kind of non-imm visa as you are not supposed to be out of your temple overnight during rains retreat (starts Jul 11/12 I think (... with a second date in early Aug?) so you may need your 90 days

Good luck

[sabaijai]

Try to get a letter from a Thai temple in the country you're living in, and show that to the embassy or consulate. That usually does the trick.

[bankei]

Depends on how long your are going to be there. I recently ordained in Thailand, temporarily, on a 3 month tourist visa.

Bankei

[camerata]

Depends on how long your are going to be there. I recently ordained in Thailand, temporarily, on a 3 month tourist visa.

Bankei

Just as a matter of interest, how long did it take you to prepare and memorize the pali for the ordination ceremony?

[bankei]

Hello Camerata

Sorry for the long delay in replying.

When I look back now, I am amazed that I got through. I just went to a temple and said I wanted to ordain as a novice. The abbot said why not become a monk instead, only kids become novices. So I did!

Armed with a copy of the ceremony in Pali in English letters, it took me 4 days to memorise the whole thing. I had not read the Pali before going into the temple, and had trouble even reading it the first day, but constant repetition, being pushed by the monks, made it possible.

I also had to relearn some pronounciations to match the Thai (mis)pronounciation of certain Pali words. e.g Dhamma becomes Thamma etc.

I highly recomend anyone wanting to ordain to just do it. I was putting it off fors years, and regret that now.

Bankei

[ThaiPauly]

Hi Bankie.

I was very interested in your post.

You say you wish you had ordained earlier..How old were you when you did, and how much and in what way did those 3 months change your life?

Many Thanks

TP

[bankei]

Hi Tp

I am 38 now, and ordained earlier this year. I have been a Buddhist since 1983, and always wanted to experience being a monk but just kept putting it off. This time on a trip to Thailand, I just decided to go for it and give it a try.

Nothing has changed with me (well, sabbe sankhara anicca anyway!), but now I have a better understanding of Buddhism from the local Thai perspective - which is very different to my approach.

I deliberately went to a 'village' temple, ie an average temple, not particularly famous. I experienced life as a monk the way that an average Thai would. I saw the good points and bad points of Thai Buddhism. And I impressed my Thai friends! They were amazed that a farang could memorise the Pali and become a monk. One member of my 'family' bombed out on the ordination day and could not remember the Pali, so could only become a novice.

Regards

Bankei

[Thai-Aust]

I just went to a temple and said I wanted to ordain as a novice. The abbot said why not become a monk instead, only kids become novices. So I did!

Bankei

Hmm. Quite contrary to what I know. No matter how old you are, the first ordain will only be as a novice and not as a monk. The novice has far less rules than of those monks.

[bankei]

I just went to a temple and said I wanted to ordain as a novice. The abbot said why not become a monk instead, only kids become novices. So I did!

Bankei

Hmm. Quite contrary to what I know. No matter how old you are, the first ordain will only be as a novice and not as a monk. The novice has far less rules than of those monks.

Hi Thai-Aust. Maybe you misunderstood. I did become a novice before becoming a monk, briefly for about 10min. All monks are ordained as novices (Samenera) before going onto the full ordination (upasampada), usually the ceremonies are conducted together.

What the Abbot meant was I need not set my sights on becoming a novice and stopping there, but going to be a full monk.

Incidently a few weeks later about 50 boys ordained as novices for 2 weeks, and an older man, approx 50, ordained as a novice too - he didn't go on to become a monk.

Monks have 227 rules, novices have 10 to follow.

Regards

Bankei

[Thai-Aust]

I just went to a temple and said I wanted to ordain as a novice. The abbot said why not become a monk instead, only kids become novices. So I did!

Bankei

Hmm. Quite contrary to what I know. No matter how old you are, the first ordain will only be as a novice and not as a monk. The novice has far less rules than of those monks.

Hi Thai-Aust. Maybe you misunderstood. I did become a novice before becoming a monk, briefly for about 10min. All monks are ordained as novices (Samenera) before going onto the full ordination (upasampada), usually the ceremonies are conducted together.

Bankei

Bankei, I didn't misunderstood, but rather you didn't make it clear in the first place that you were ordained as a novice first.

Good for you. Unumothana.