In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
Every year, usually sometime in November, Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong. It’s believed that the holiday originated in the ancient capital city of Sukhothai. Part of the traditions for celebrating include releasing small floats on bodies of water and floating lanterns in the sky.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
On the evening of the full moon of the 12th lunar month in Thailand, the holiday Loi Krathong is celebrated. Loi Krathong roughly translates as “floating crown.” People throughout Thailand make or buy little floats made from banana leaves and decorated with flowers. On them they place a candle, incense and their wishes on to send out on the water. The Lanna hill tribe celebrates the same day with the Yi Peng festival by releasing floating lanterns into the night sky.
Yesterday was H.M. Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday. All over Thailand, pictures of her were spruced up and put on prominent display, if they weren’t already. Because the queen was born on a Friday, her color is light blue according to Thai traditions, and so light blue bunting and flags were also strewn up around the country.
Today is the first day of Vassa, also known as the “Rains Retreat” or “Buddhist Lent.”
For the past several weeks I have seen a number of invitations to monk ordinations being handed out, heard the music bumping from the big blow-out party that happens the night before the ordination and heard of teachers at other schools planning on going on meditation retreats for the rest of the week. But what does all of this have to do with Vassa?
Teachers are among the most respected professionals in Thailand. Every school year, there is a day called Wan Wai Kruu, which loosely translates and “Day to Pay Respect to Teachers.” The students spend days practicing, preparing the school grounds and creating the small offerings they give. On Wan Wai Kruu, the students gather in an assembly, and each student, class by class, comes up to the teachers on stage, kneels and wais to the teachers. They give them the flower offerings they prepared and the teachers give them blessings and encouragement for the coming school year. Check out the video to see what Wan Wai Kruu looked like at my school this year.
In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.
So after nearly 5 months in Thailand I finally made it to Bangkok for more than a couple of hours. I spent an entire long weekend in the capital city in fact. However, this was one big farang trip. There was no sight seeing done on this excursion. There was an unspoken ban on eating Thai food. And it was a nice chance to rejuvenate.
Monk ordinations are not the only time for dancing in the street. On April 13-15 Thailand celebrates Songkran, the traditional New Year. I posted a video of it a couple weeks ago, but I thought I would take the time to expand a little more on what happened during the festival and some of the meanings behind it.
Did you know that different cultures define the beginning of a new year at different times? For example, the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, happens around September, while the Islamic New Year moves throughout the Gregorian calendar, and this year happens at the beginning of November. Traditionally in Thailand, Songkran, the Thai New Year, is on April 13th to 15th. Check out the video of some of the traditional celebrations in my village.