News Forum - Foreigners anger Chiang Mai locals for kissing in temple

[Cabra]

  On 10/6/2022 at 2:30 AM, Marble-eye said:

Don't worry Cabra, some people wouldn't know what respect was even if they fell over it on the way to the girly bars.

Expand  

True. I do sometimes forget to take into consideration the default nature of the average male foreigner drawn to Thailand. 

[Fanta]

  On 10/5/2022 at 1:13 AM, Marble-eye said:

If you have a problem with buddhism well maybe Thailand is not for you after all. The buddhists will not change their religion just to please you. 

Expand  

I don’t have a problem with Buddhism. I am saying that the enraged Buddhists have failed the credibility test before they even started their defense of their religion. Like a vegan lecturing you about the ills of eating meat while they devour a Big Mac. 

[Manu]

  On 10/6/2022 at 2:30 AM, Marble-eye said:

Don't worry Cabra, some people wouldn't know what respect was even if they fell over it on the way to the girly bars.

Expand  

...and that sentence alone shows that you know all about respect indeed.

[Cabra]

  On 10/6/2022 at 2:47 AM, Manu said:

The kiss was outside the temple, and not just out of the front door either but away from it on the side it seems

Expand  

If outside the temple grounds, fine. But I'm not one for splitting hairs. Truth be told, the temple grounds, and areas around the various structures - pagoda, etc., are as sarced as the temple itself. But it would certainly be easy for someone to not realize that. 

  On 10/6/2022 at 2:47 AM, Manu said:

it does not desserve anger and hate like you would like it to be when you are the one who makes the mistake

Expand  

No hate from me. I've certainly made my share of mistakes (my girlfriend has mostly broken me of using/not using my feet to move things).  Just making a point on the notions of good manners, respect and reverence at places of worship. 

[Manu]

  On 10/6/2022 at 3:10 AM, Cabra said:

No hate from me. I've certainly made my share of mistakes (my girlfriend has mostly broken me of using/not using my feet to move things).  Just making a point on the notions of good manners, respect and reverence at places of worship. 

Expand  

Sure. By hate I did not mean you of course, more the ones on social media showing their anger and hate based on a single picture. And that was my point too: people full of anger and hate (most especially on social media), regardless if they are buddhists (or any religion or not religious at all) and in their own country (or from any country), I can personally show no respect. This story could have gone much more peacefully in my opinion, just a matter of simple tolerance and understanding. I am sure this couple are very sorry and that should be enough for anyone.

[Marc26]

  On 10/6/2022 at 2:24 AM, Cabra said:

I would never claim to have researched all the do's and dont's of every country I visited. But I do try and make a conscious effort to learn what I can. And how poorly someone behaves in my home country is irrelevant to how I behave in theirs. Why would it be?  What I do believe is that temples and churches demand a certain level of reverence when attending (even amongst none believers - of which I'm one). It's simply good manners and respectful. And if you can't do that, or won't, then simply don't enter. That's fine too. if I did error in my behavior, i would certainly live up to that, and try to learn from it. Hopefully some people are learning more about Thai mores from this latest edition of "tourist behaving badly" and working to do better. This situation is not offensive more that it's a teaching moment, that if taken with good intentions, might even put a smile on someone else's face the next time they visit a church or temple. 

Expand  

Don't disagree with any of that and I follow a lot of it

[HolyCowCm]

  On 10/5/2022 at 8:50 AM, Cabra said:

You many want to speak with more Thai people. Ask any Thai who is a practicing Buddhist (and many who are not) and they will tell you it's forbidden to kiss in the temple. Hard stop. Many will even say the offenders should be warned to avoid future missteps (but do so politely and privately - not on-line or to embarrass). You can rest assured they would reprimand their own children for such behavior. That's good enough for me. On the flip side, Thais are forgiving, and will certainly forgive a Christian for being unaware of temple etiquette, to be sure. Tourist should try harder to be respectful. People need to practice reverence when in someone else's house (of worship). That's the lesson here. That's the point. Hopefully more farangs are paying attention, and will do better. 

Expand  

I speak a lot with Thai people. Put it this way, I mainly only speak with Thai people. Most Thai are not fanatics and don't care and would not even think twuice at that photo. The kiss was a peck and wasn't like cramming a tongue down the throat or undoing someones zipper. Most Thai kiss by sniiffing the face, and only deep toungue throat when having sex, and that style of Thai sniff kiss is not even looked down upong or couples holding hands. I happen to go to temples a few times a year for birthdays and some thing, well that was before covid. Now we have slacked off. So I do know a lot about going and behaving at temples. The person who took the photo and put it on social media is an idiot and is  not of the majority. Temple eitiquette is lax on the whole part nowadays. I will say that we do have one fanatical aunt who is crazy for the regime and the royals and temples. But we just all look at her as overboard and a marble or two short