Thai PM hails Buddhist precepts

Bangkok Post, Nov 13, 2006

Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand -- Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont says the five precepts of Buddhism are the best means of achieving sustainable development.

Buddhists demand monk's lounge at airport

Bangkok Post, Nov 13, 2006

Bangkok, Thailand -- The National Buddhism Office of Thailand wants its new Suvarnabhumi Airport to install a monks' lounge in the passenger terminal, citing regular travel by senior monks as a reason.

Paradise on earth

by Jamie Khoo, The Star, November 11, 2006

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- KECHARA House, which takes its name from one of Buddhism’s highest tantric deities’ heaven, Kechara Paradise, was established in Malaysia in 2000, under the spiritual guidance of Tsem Tulku Rinpoche.

Monks to stop morning alms rounds

Bangkok Post, Nov 12, 2006

Violent attacks fan fears among Buddhists

Narathiwat, Thailand -- Monks in Narathiwat will stop leaving their temples to receive alms in the mornings from tomorrow, as insurgents have stepped up violent attacks to further fan fears among Buddhists in the deep South. Leading monks in the southernmost province met at Wat Prachum Cholthara in Sungai Padi district yesterday before announcing their joint decision.

Thai antiquities unveiled to show true face of Buddhist culture

VietNamNet Bridge, Nov 10, 2006

Hanoi, Vietnam -- An awe-inspiring array of Thailand's antiquities has surfaced from the storage room of the National Museum of Vietnamese History to put a physical face on Buddhist culture.

Buddhists flee from Southern Thailand

by Charoon Thongnual, The Nation, Nov 10, 2006

Fleeing villagers seek refuge in wat of nearby district, fearing attacks by militants

Yala, South Thailand -- Nearly 100 Buddhists from three villages in Yala's Than To and Bannang Sata districts have fled their homes and sought refuge at a temple in a nearby district amid growing fears of more insurgent violence, officials said.

Taiwan Buddhist group to launch TV station in Indonesia

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Nov 10, 2006

Taipei, Taiwan -- A Taiwan Buddhist group plans to launch a television station in Muslim Indonesia to encourage Indonesians to care for poor people in their country, the group said Friday.

NLA Speaker worries of Buddhist Monk Act draft

ThaisNews, Nov 8, 2006

Bangkok, Thailand -- The Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Mr. Meechai Ruchupan, is concerned that the draft of the Buddhist Monk Act, which has been submitted by the NLA members, may produce dissonance, while proposing the government to have a clear understanding before a problem arises.

Monastic dispute turning unholy

The Nation, Nov 8, 2006

Infighting among Buddhist factions is what prevents badly needed religious reform from taking place

Bangkok, Thailand -- The long-running controversy over whether the Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdet Phra Yanasamvara Suvaddhana Mahathera, at 93, is physically and mentally well enough to discharge his duties has baffled most Buddhists in Thailand.

Thailand: Monks and Politicians Cross Swords

Originally published July 27, 2004, IPS/GIN, Published on the Buddhist Channel, Nov 8, 2006

BANGKOK, Thailand -- When senior monks gathered recently to select a leader for Thailand's supreme Buddhist body, the presence of a 200-strong force of armed police commandos helped to highlight another crack on the face of Thai Buddhism. The protection for the monks was not to ward off possible attacks from assailants who have been targeting symbols of Buddhism and the state in southern Thailand since early January.