Grassroots Buddhism Flourishes in the Outskirts of Bangkok

By Kalinga Seneviratne, Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, 9 December 2019

BANGKOK, Thailand -- On a Saturday morning a couple drives into the Santi Asoke community in the north-eastern outskirts of Bangkok, and walks into a large warehouse stacked with clothes, shoes, books, electrical goods, mobile phones, washing machines, furniture and other household items. The couple inspects a stack of clothes scattered on a mat, picks some up and puts it in a basket. It is then taken to a volunteer cashier, who weighs it and quotes a price.


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Obesity among Thai Buddhist monks is a cause for concern

by Muktita Suhartono, The Hindu, Aug 14, 2018

Bangkok, Thailand -- The Buddha, in his laughing incarnation, is often depicted with a jolly smile and a giant, quivering belly. That model of plenitude seems ever more apt in Thailand, where the waistlines of the country’s Buddhist monks have expanded so much that health officials have issued a nationwide warning.

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Candles and chanting as cave boys' ordination begins

The Bangkok Post, 24 Jul 2018

Bangkok, Thailand -- Eleven boys from the “Wild Boars” soccer team - rescued from the flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district in a drama that gripped global audiences - took their first steps on Tuesday to be ordained as Buddhist novices in a ceremony steeped in tradition.

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Visakha Bucha Buddhist holiday brings alcohol ban to Phuket

The Phuket News, 26 May 2018

PHUKET, Thailand -- The major Buddhist holiday Visakha Bucha Day will be honoured on May 29 with most government offices closed.

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Thai Buddhist monks' health suffering from sugary drinks

by Liam Cochrane and Supattra Vimonsuknopparat, ABC, May 28, 2018

Bangkok, Thailand -- The daily afternoon fasting of Thai Buddhist monks is making them fat, thanks largely to modern sugary drinks, says a leading nutritionist.

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