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Thai hardliners wanted this art destroyed. Instead it just sold for 600,000 baht
As Buddhist hardliners demand the destruction of paintings depicting the Buddha as a Japanese superhero, a patron announced today that he’s flipped one at auction for a whopping THB600,000 (about US$20,000). Pakorn Porncheewarakun, who bought at least one of the so-called Ultraman Buddha paintings when the controversy erupted, announced online that he’d sold it to ...
Monk sheds orange to throw fists of fury at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong (Video)
Shrugging off his orange robes to throw some big-man punches, a Thai monk is going viral today for starting a fight with another man at a Bangkok’s main railway terminal. People...
Censored and censured art student wanted Thais to see Buddha as hero (Photos)
One of Thailand’s top artists has come to the defense of a senior university art student who was forced to apologize for depicting the Buddha as a Japanese superhero. After the...
Best-selling Tibetan monk accused of sexual abuse dies in Thailand
A controversial Tibetan monk whose best-selling book on Buddhist wisdom was overshadowed by multiple allegations of sexual abuse has died in Thailand, his official social media...
Muslim man left in coma after Thai army interrogation dies
A Muslim man left in a coma after being interrogated at a notorious Thai detention centre died Sunday, as pressure mounts on the army to release further findings of a probe into...
Thai army probe says rebel suspect could have been suffocated
A rebel suspect found unconscious hours after being held in a notorious Thai military camp in the Muslim-majority south could have been suffocated, according to the results of an...
No official word yet on Pope visit to Bangkok
The Archdiocese of Bangkok was tight-lipped today about reports that Pope Fracis would visit the kingdom later this year. Though a diocese spokesman confirmed the 82-year-old pope...
Hardline Thai Buddhists declare war on Instagram filter (Poll)
While the Buddha’s image is worshipped as sacred by many around the world, it’s also casually co-opted by non-adherents as #exotic and #woke decor. And has happened before...
Sins and spirits: Thais flock to sacred tattoo fest to ‘recharge’ traditional tattoos
Every year, thousands of devotees gather at Wat Bang Phra for the annual tattoo festival, which celebrates the traditional Sak Yant tattoos.
Thai monk arrested for sexual assault of 2 children in Chicago temple
Over the years, there has been numerous cases of monks misbehaving in Thai media — from flaunting their jet-setting lifestyle to beating a 9-year-old to death. One Thai monk,...
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Coconuts Bangkok religion
Bangkok is steeped in religious tradition that affects every aspect of life in this modern-yet-ancient city. It’s quite normal to see sex workers on Soi Cowboy wearing bikinis but offering incense and rice at the red light district’s shrine before engaging a night of debauchery. They hope it will bring them good luck and money from customers. Cats like spirit houses too.