Monks- Advice Please

[Tariq]

The Thai Girls I saw in Pattaya were not very educated and many seem to be from small villages, I hear most are from Isaan. It stands to reason that uneducated villagers will be more religious than better traveled, bug city folks. My 2 cents.

[sydney95b]

That's good advice. Many visitors to Thailand assume that if a man has his head shaved, and is wearing orange clothing, then he is a monk. This unfortunatly isn't the case.

Many unscroupulous Thai men pretend to be monks to solicit "donations" from tourists. The real monks do their rounds very early in the morning, and are given food, and small amounts of money by local people... mostly women for the reasons already given in this thread. they then return to their temples and the donations are used for the good of all... Their meal is served and eaten before mid day.

 

If you ever see a "Monk" after midday soliciting donations, he is very unlikely to be a real monk.

If you are ever actually approached by a "Monk" and asked for donations... he is not a monk.

If you are ever approached in a bar by a "monk", who will often have a laminated card, with details of his temple, or the charity that he is asking you to donate to, He is not a monk.

If you ever see a monk eat anything after midday, he is not a monk.

If you ever smell alcohol on a "monks" breath, he is not a monk.

If you ever see a "monk" smoking, he is not a monk.

If you ever see a "Monk" asking for money down walking street in the evening, or Sukhumvit road in the late afternoon, he is definately not a monk.

If you give money to any of the above "Monks", the chances of your money helping anyone except the fraudster who accepted it is infinitessimaly small.

 

Many of the crooks who pretend to be monks don't even wear proper monks robes. They wear orange tunics and trousers... dead givaway... if you see a "monk" wearing trousers... he is not a monk.

These crooks do a lot of damage by soliciting donations that might otherwise have gone to some of the many, and sorely needed ,charities in Thailand. If a visitor gives a fake monk 1000 baht, they may think that they had made merit, and done their duty to the poor and disadvanted here. They may feel that they have made a contribution, and that's that done. In fact all they have done is to give the money to a self serving fraudster.

 

If you do want to make a small contribution to charity whilst you are in Thailand, Buy a cartload of supplies at Big C... staples like rice, other foodstuffs, (Try and avoid food that will go off too soon), cooking oil, washing powder, soap, toothbrushes, maybe a few sweets and biscuits, sandals in a range of childrens sizes, and take them to the local orphanage. Other options include visiting one of the smaller Wats, and making a cash donation, or if you care about animals, there's an organisation in Bangkok called SCAD (Soi Cats and dogs). They rescue and rehome some of the many animals that live on the streets of Bangkok. We adopted a puppy from them this year... a lovely dog.

 

 

 

G'day Captain... thanks for the advice on the topic of monks. You seem to be very knowledgable about the topic. Could you please tell me about the bracelets/strings they tie around your wrist? What do the different colours mean? How much would you normally offer a monk as a donation to receive one?

 

Many thanks...

[george671]

The Thai Girls I saw in Pattaya were not very educated and many seem to be from small villages, I hear most are from Isaan. It stands to reason that uneducated villagers will be more religious than better traveled, bug city folks. My 2 cents.

Spend a little time in Bangkok and you may change your opinion...Big city, small village, rich, poor, educated, non educated,,,Bubbhist tradition transcends all...It's mostly about making merit, and sometimes the rich and educated have more at stake and therefore feel they should make merit more often... Many in Bangkok make daily or weekly visits to one or more of the many temples to make direct donation and pray.

 

cheers

[wee_fella]

Could you please tell me about the bracelets/strings they tie around your wrist? What do the different colours mean? How much would you normally offer a monk as a donation to receive one?

 

Many thanks...

 

 

I would be interested in finding out more about these too.

 

My last trip to LOS last year, I was with my missus (unfortunately) in Koh Samui, riding around on a motorbike checking out the tourist sights. We went to the Temple of the Mummified Monk, just south of Lamai. We had a look around, took a few photos, then as we were leaving my missus called me over to a little kind of stall where an old monk was sitting. He sat us down, said some prayers and blessings, and splashed some holy water over us, then tied some white cotton bracelets round our wrists. He explaiined they were for good luck. We gave him a small donation (100 baht each or so) and headed off on the bike, with me considering it a quaint little tourist moment.

 

5 minutes later, looking for a turn-off for a waterfall, I pulled a stupid u-turn (without headchecking) and came within 5 or 6 inches of getting wiped out by a speeding black pick-up truck that had to swerve into the opposite lane to avoid us. For me, it was a true near death experience. Was it the monks blessing that kept us safe? I don't know, but I know it didnt do any harm. Im not religious, and I don't believe in UFOs or fairies. But I do believe what goes aroung comes around, and that was the best 100 baht I ever spent. When I go back to Samui this year I will definately go back and see that monk. Im going to Samui at the end of my trip so I will be on the look out for a lucky temple in BKK or Pattaya at the start of my trip. I wore that cotton bracelet until it wore out and broke, then I put it in my wallet, I still have it...

[Koolbeans]

Very informative post. I would like to visit some temples next time I visit. It is always a good thing to keep an open mind. Sadly, I am never up to 5AM outside. I might try it one day.

[phomsanuk]

They need to make merit so they can screw you [in more ways than one] that night

[david555]

I have always found Thai women to be more generous.and decent. Thats probably why.

 

So far I am yet to find a Thai guy that has been as nice as the girls.

 

yes, because the girls take th bath from us so easy....;

[worthy42]

So luang por khroon is not a monk? Nothing is cut in store and no monks are perfect. Just like the rest of us. But they stribe to better themselves. I know a monk that i concider a friend. He smokes a cigarette once in a while, but is one of the finest people i ever met. Monk or not.

[mattzilla]

Most Thai men can't be asked to get up early in the morning. Too much Hong Thong the night before....

[worthy42]

I went to shoot a fotoseccion of monks collecting alms in samui. 40% were men giving. So dont blow it out of porportion.

[Gobby]

i would think the girls in patt has more to give then the guys. thats why they give more to the monks.... believe me when i say this that not in all area does this happen..( more girls then guys giving to monks).

[OleKingCole]

She was a Buddhist "nun" -- they wear white robes -- they are similar to a catholic nun.

The Buddhist nuns can not rise to "monk" level -- they are helping out their local temple monks (to make merit) by doing certain chores around the temple, like cleaning, or other tasks. They generally do this for a few days at a time, living for a while in the temple's housing, and usually do not live in the temple for a long time, like the monks do.

It's usually for 2 or 3 days or so, but some stay longer.

After they finish their merit-making stay at the temple, they remove the white robes and resume normal life again, until the next time they go to "make merit".

 

Some few Buddhist women go a step further, and become "MAE CHII" -- they become a dedicated full-time Buddhist nun, and shave their heads, always wear the white robes, and pretty much do this full-time, similar to catholic nuns in a convent.

 

Interesting post (like the whole thread really)

 

In May, on my birthday, my girl and a couple of her friends took me to a really nice temple - can't for the life of me say where - to release a variety of captive water animals in the temple lake and feed birds in the grounds. As we walked around, one of the friends, she's actually the taxi driver/tour guide, was telling me that a year or so ago she was going through a ad patch in her life so she came to this particular wat for a week's retreat. She described the daily routine and how the week of very simple living in quiet natural surroundings doing simple manual chores, walking in the woods and so on, helped her resolve the issues she was facing

[pubstud]

I have always found Thai women to be more generous.and decent. Thats probably why.

 

So far I am yet to find a Thai guy that has been as nice as the girls.

 

 

Yep, that's exactly my conclusion as well.

[PepeLePew]

I have always found Thai women to be more generous.and decent. Thats probably why.

 

So far I am yet to find a Thai guy that has been as nice as the girls.

 

Actually that is interesting. 2 years later is that still true?

 

As a visitor I probably don't get to know Thais as well as expats but with that in mind I've met a couple of nice Thai guys in my time and if we include the ones that wear dresses then I could probably add a couple more.