Soldiers To Monitor Buddhist Temple's iPhone Charity Draw
By Khaosod English


Wat Ratchaburana in Mueang district will be giving away banknotes and five free iPhone 6 Plus devices after a religious ceremony on 9 January 2015.

PITSANULOK — Soldiers have been dispatched to maintain order at a temple in Pitsanulok province where monks have promised to give away five free iPhones to temple-goers tomorrow.

The giveaway is a part of a tradition that typically involves monks throwing coins at crowds of temple-goers following major religious ceremonies.

Yet while most temples distribute coins and other humble gifts, Wat Ratchaburana in Mueang district will be giving away banknotes worth 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 baht, its abbot says.

The temple will also give away five free iPhone 6 Plus devices, said the abbot, Phra Kru Sitthitham Wipat.

He explained that the winning raffle tickets for the iPhones will be mixed in with the cash prizes and thrown indiscriminately into the crowds.

"We will throw the money in four different spots throughout the temple, to prevent the crowd from becoming too dense," Phra Kru Sitthitham said. "We have already requested police, soldiers, and rescue workers to assist us in the event, to deter any criminals that may blend in with the crowd."

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1420708037


-- Khaosod English 2015-01-08

"We have already requested police, soldiers, and rescue workers

and special ops, snipers, the navy, helicopter gunships. our submarine, and some men in black...

I've got to check that out, should be fun...

"We have already requested police, soldiers, and rescue workers

and special ops, snipers, the navy, helicopter gunships. our submarine, and some men in black...

I've got to check that out, should be fun...

funnier still if you managed to be the falang taking home a brand new iphone...

Why are soldiers necessary? Are they still the police handlers, even for this minor event?

They should be more worried about the crowd that may blend in with the criminals as opposed to the opposite.

They should be more worried about the crowd that may blend in with the criminals as opposed to the opposite.