Chonburi - New Year at Wat Song Metta

When entering a new year, this is most often something people celebrate. However, many people take the opportunity to ponder the year that has passed and look ahead at what the new year may bring. Apart from the widespread tradition of making somewhat superficial resolutions for the new year, some people take a more serious approach. They choose to enter a new year while praying at a temple.

People are gathering

Wat Song Metta Wanaram is on a hill overlooking Ban Bang Saray (or Sa-Re) near Sattahip. New Year's Eve it will fill up with people chanting and praying for hours led by the monks of the temple.

Find yourself a place and a white cotton thread

If you are a believer, or maybe just want to try anything to secure some good fortune, then join us tomorrow evening. Or listen in on the internet radio broadcast.

http://www.watsongmetta.com/

Happy New Year

Chonburi - Pattaya Sheep Farm

In Thailand, the trend of making cute animals available for town folks to pet probably started near Suan Pheung in Ratchaburi with the upscale Swiss Valley Hip Resort roughly 10 years ago. Since then, the concept was copied but simplified into petting zoos that catered to people's desire to snap cute photos.

Air craft and wind mill - where are the sheep?

Such venues are in Thailand often called "sheep farms" and at first they spread across Ratchaburi, then started to pop up in Khao Kho, and they are now found all across Thailand.

Sheep galore

There are two sheep farms near Pattaya - actually, in Bang Lamung and in Na Jomtien.

Car rental that I can afford, but I need somebody to push me.

The one in Bang Lamung is the biggest one and if you are young at heart, it can be quite fun to spend an hour there.You can pad and feed sheep, donkeys, ponies, pigs, ducks, geese, and chickens as well as take a boat load of cute photos. Much more fun than the cluster of fake European houses south of Pattaya:

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2013/08/chonburi-mimosa-city-of-fakes.html

Chonburi - Pattaya: City of Culture

Every year in December, Pattaya City sponsors a merit making ceremony early a Saturday morning. Last year, 2,600 monks were bused in. 

At his speech, and I am paraphrasing, the mayor of Pattaya said the ceremony was partly intended to show that Pattaya is not only a city of sin. However, I am pretty sure that this ceremony – starting at sunrise – escapes the attention of nearly all tourists and of the Thais engaged in the many shades of sinful activity that goes on all around Pattaya.

After the speeches, the monks circulated to allow worshipers to pay their respects and get their prayers answered. Considering that the Lord Buddha taught that the way to salvation is to free oneself from temptations and unholy matters such as money, it was an interesting aspect of the ceremony that 60% of the MC’s calls for prayer were for riches.