วัดใหม่หาดกระทิงทอง — Attraction in Pattaya City

~19:30, MON, 09 SEP 2024

I asked the chief monk at Wat Tham Samakkhi (วัดธรรมสามัคคี) in front of a family (thus, witness) to spend the night there.

He recommended that I go to Wat Hat Krathing Thong (วัดใหม่หาดกระทิงทอง) on Jomtien Beach, as his temple does not allow any overnight stay in a room.

Like a naive student in the tradition of Buddhism, I walked all the way to Wat Krathing Thong, arriving ~19:30. And proceeded to ask to see the chief monk. Only to be told by a monk that he had retired for the night.

This monk himself was too busy or important to give me a room and pointed to a row of rooms nearby where other monks were staying.

One by one, I was rejected by three other monks for a room, with the last one telling me to get out while pointing in the direction where a wake (funeral) was already taking place.

Yes, this just about sums up Thailand:

Lots of confused information. Neglect of simple monkhood responsibility. Big egos who seem to think they are present-day Buddhas who should be respected at all times and therefore never be questioned.

What's more, many Thais remain complacent or perfectly content with all this, not daring to raise any concern regarding monk...

Wat Mai Hat Krathingthon is a Buddhist temple area in Jomtien, Pattaya. But inside the area, there is a big parking place. Maybe practical, but...

Dirty, unkempt territory. While I was walking around the territory and taking photos, a Thai woman yelled at me and threw a stone at me....