The orange, three-tiered tiled roofline of the community Wat's viharn rises above the flat terrain of the pale stubble of rice stalks. During the cooler winter months in Thailand the work of growing rice crops comes to a halt. Many Buddhist ceremoni
San Sai is an agricultural town just outside of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The Wat Muang Khon is surrounded by farms and rice paddy. The political system of the Chiang Mai area was established by the dynasty of King Mangrai (1296 - 1558). Bas
For much of the year the temple is shuttered and by appearances inactive, although the senior monk of the wat is available for advise and to offer prayers for good fortune. The hard work of daily life continues cultivating rice in the rainfed lowlan
Crowning the entrance to the vihara is a gruesome mural that is an unflinching reminder to the congregation of rice farmers and their families of the punishments in store for people who kill or mistreat animals. The tale of Phra Malai, (seen in the
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The Sueb Chata Ceremony
The Sueb Chata ceremony used as an Investiture Ritual
The simple construction of the tripod for lay people contrasts with the impressive and complex four pillared structure used for ordained monks. Both share the designation as a "cradle of fate." In the Sueb Chata ceremony as it is performed for a lay
High-ranking monks of the northern Thailand attend the Tham bun ceremony
The separation of church and state do not exist in Thailand. Buddhism is the state religion of the Thai people. Liturgical ceremonies are recognized as important events acknowledged by military and governmental officials.
Important members of the congregation and leaders in the local community take privileged seats within the temple. The “magical” power generated by monks chanting verse is the most strong and efficacious when it is proximal to the source. Lay membe
Banners of 20 Baht banknotes hang from the sai sin string canopy. Temple ceremonies are an opportunity to raise funds for the ongoing support of the local grounds and monks of the wat. Merit is made with financial gifts. The display of the King
Thai Buddhists use sai sin (sincana cord) to create a consecrated, protective space. The legend that explains it's use is from a folktale of a bodhisattva that wraps sincana cord around the palace of a raja as a barrier to a demon. The monster ran a
The view from the first group of laypeople seated outside the temple. They face the backs of the attendees seated inside. The sai sin cord from the temple interior is daisy chained from awning to awning throughout the temple grounds.
The first of several awnings with plastic chairs outside the temple. In the background are the many volunteers that help cook meals and set tables.
Some laypeople hold the sai sin cord wrapped around their fingers but more commonly the cord is used wrapped around the head. The reason for this is the belief in Khwan , an animist belief unique to the Thai culture. Khwan can be translated as "
The lay members remove their sai sin cord from the canopy to take home for good fortune.
The support of local wats relies mostly on the women in the community. Women in Buddhist cultures have limited direct means of earning merit; much of it must be made by others on their behalf. Supporting the monks is considered an activity that yiel
A midday meal for the monks and the laypeople follows the temple ceremony
The older women of the congregation have prepared and plated food for hundreds of visitors.
Table setting for the monks who chanted for the community. Thai meals are rarely simple but are labor-intensive in preparation and lavish in presentation. A meal offered must take into consideration a diverse range of food preferences accounting for
The morning chanting ceremony gives way to a relaxing midday meal.
The work of preparing food and serving the monks and visitors is complete and the matrons of the host temple wait in the corner of the community hall. Their faces reflect expressions that bridge the stern and the poignant and the careworn, one happy
Following lunch the honoree monk remains in the temple to receive lay members and visitors who come for blessings and small gifts.
Women of the community
Su Khwan ceremony: The most repeated interaction that monks have with the lay membership and with tourists eager to encounter  Buddhism firsthand is the brief ceremony of tying white cotton string around the wrist. The tying of the wrists keep
Saw performers at Temple Fair: Saw is a vocal genre particular to northern Thailand with two styles. the Chiang Mai and Nan styles. Saw is a vocal repartee genre which the performers draw upon hundreds of memorized poetic verses and extemporane
The entertainment highlight of the Temple Festival is a Likay performance
Likay stories are well known to Thai audiences, so there are many opportunities to improvise story digressions full of contemporary jokes and puns commenting on current events. *The main characters are phra(hero), nang (heroine), kong (villain), it
Amorous intrigues like scandalous notes passed on to the wrong person and hilarious parodies of royal court melodramas are a staple of Likay performances.
This Thai "Grouch Marx" type character has a quick wit and a tendency to steal every scene. In contrast to the flashy, elaborate costumes worn by most of Likay's performers, the actor playing the comical character of the lower social classes usually
Thais enjoy loud music from concert music to movie soundtracks at local malls. Public events are supplied with powerful amplifiers turned up to maximum volume driving enormous speakers topped with metal public address horns. Each Likay performer h
Rapt attention and big smiles on the audience for the Likay troupe.
Likay characters wear costumes that are Malay-like with turbans and embroidered fabric. 
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Piphad likay musicians: The musical ensemble is tightly integrated into performances. They must be ready for any improvised digressions by the actors. They are also known to make their own witty improvised musical contributions to the performance. L
Thai goblet drum contests are a popular entertainment at Temple Festivals
The drum head is tuned using a circular weight attached to the face called a Ja.
The paste that makes the Ja weight is a closely guarded secret in drum contests. Sticky rice and ash are the primary ingredients, but the secret elements that are prized are combinations of clay, tar, insect excrement and gold leaf.
The drum head must be tuned before each performance. A Ja weight lowers the tone of the drum. The drum contest is won strictly on the basis of the drum's tone and not by the ability of the drummer.
Drummers will re-adjust the Ja weight to produce the best quality sound. The Ja weight on the drum head has been worked and reworked, the variations in thickness and the random dimples made on the weight will produce the desired deep sound need
At the conclusion of the Sueb Chata,  the ceremonial structure is placed under a Bo tree and next to a spirit shrine outside the temple grounds.       Inventing new traditions New Year "Countdown" Chanting Ceremony in Thailand Non-tr
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Celebrations for International observance of the New Year are held throughout Thailand. Buddhist temples and local governments offer organized festivals with dance performances and music to an alcohol free audience.
Inventing a new tradition: Since 2011, the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand and the Department of Religious Affairs initiated a campaign for the New Year chanting ceremony. First organized by the abbot of a Thai temple in North Hollywood, Califor
New Year Chanting: A Good Start, a Good Life Promoted by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation on television, radio and Facebook. It provides an opportunity to create merit going into the New Year.
Young people can multi-task participating in the ceremony and keeping up with friends on their cell phones.
Traditional worship on New Years Eve at Wat Chedi Luang. A young couple make their prayers holding joss sticks. The smoke from the candles and joss sticks are believed to carry their prayers to the devas in the heavens.
Wat Phan Tao offers a dazzling evening of non-traditional stagecraft for tourists celebrating the New Year in Chiang Mai.  Less devotional than eye candy for photographers. The New Years Eve event is extremely popular with Americans and Eu
Young monk reflected in the artificial pond from the elevated stage area. Decorated with lanterns and a bamboo backdrop the New Year Countdown at Wat Phan Tao begins.
Artificial but beautiful this annual evening performance ends with a flourish at midnight with the release of the khom loy (the now iconic image of illuminated paper lanterns in Thailand drifting skyward in massive numbers).
The countdown to midnight culminates with families participating in the simultaneous launching of the famous paper lanterns: khom loy.
Notes for New Year Countdown are taken from: New Year "Countdown" Chanting Ceremony in Contemporary Thai Society: An Analysis of an Invented Tradition by Prasirt Runra, published in the Rian Thai, International Journal of Thai Studies, Vol. 9/2016
Thousands of plastic chairs with breakfast boxes line Nimmanhaemin Road in preparation for the 10,000 Monks merit-making ceremony held in Chiang Mai in late December.
Young monks arrive in the pre-dawn hours to participant in the mass merit-making 10,000 Monks. 
Inventing new traditions: 10,000 Monks  is staged throughout major cities in Thailand as a mass event for merit-making. Starting in the early morning hours, this contemporary ceremony is staged with great pomp and circumstance. It involve
Monks from many regions arrive by the bus and crowded into songthaews in the pre-dawn hours to participate in the festivities of the 10,000 Monks event.
Thousands of Thais wear white as a symbol of purity and respect for the monks. The 10,000 Monks ceremony   includes large numbers of the Thai military, who are there to assist the monks and to make merit for themselves.
The ceremony begins with community leaders honoring and thanking the Sangha for participating in an auspicious ceremony.
The leading monks of the community are honored by the high-ranking laypeople of the Chiang Mai region.
The highly organized procession for alms-round is directed by monks with bullhorns.
Long straight lines of monks move down Nimmanhaemin Road for miles toward the Ping River on the outskirts of Chiang Mai City. Individual laypersons make as many individual alms gifts as possible to strengthen their merit.
When alms bowls are overflowing with offerings, the monks are assisted by members of the Thai army. Soldiers collect the contents into large plastic bags so that the alms giving may continue. End of Sueb Chata & Temple Fair: The Sueb Jata
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