Tourist's temple pic 'offensive'

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Tourist's temple pic 'offensive'

Published: 4 Jan 2013 at 18.24
Online news: Local News

A photograph of a female tourist posing with a Buddha statue at Srisanpetch Temple in Ayutthaya province has offended Thais and has sparked several discussions on the internet.

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Reports said that the foreign woman stood behind the Buddha statue and positioned her head and arm in the same spots as the statue's missing parts before having her picture taken.

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ploydonut
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Discussion 31 : 05 Jan 2013 at 07.1231
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If I go to a Christian Church and do the same, making my head on the Jesus cross, or on Virgin Mary statue, on the Sunday, I am think people in the church will be angry. I am remember when singer Michael Jackson make himself like the Christian Jesus on the stage. People around the world were angry. I am think that people should understand that this is a temple, that Buddhist people respect and worship, even if it is broken.
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brilliant
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Discussion 30 : 05 Jan 2013 at 05.3230
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abbub - " as a Thai I would feel offended by farang coming here to get drunk, go to bars, shave their heads and acquire ridiculous tattoos, all the while walking around in shorts and too tight t-shirts hoping to get a tan."

Well, sorry, that part of what Thailand is selling. Get a grip.
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NorDevil
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Discussion 29 : 05 Jan 2013 at 04.3429
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To #6 - The point is not what Thai people do but what we the foreigners do.You can see on the news all the time monks being arrested for selling drunks and being drunk IN the temples themselvs.You read about monks being arrested in the sex-bars that is found all over Thailand.Every day we can see Thai's doing offence things that are against their own culture and religion but that is not important.This is Thailnd,their country and therefor it is ok when they do things but if a foreigner does anything the BP makes a big story out it.How can a foreigner ever learn what the Thai culture is when the Thais themselvs seem to have no idea ?
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Nickjon
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Discussion 28 : 05 Jan 2013 at 04.1328
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If you've ever attended a large function here where there is a speaker to be listened to and the locals are present; it is very embarrasing as they talk the whole way through the speech or presentation with total disregard for the individual and the majority of the audience. That is also disrespectful....that's after the free buffet has been hoovered up !
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DickFarang
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Discussion 27 : 05 Jan 2013 at 02.5227
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@ Discussion 13 (ploydonut):

Did you never see Thai people (mostly no Christians) walking around with crucifixes ?

Were there no huge crucifixes on the walls of the Bangkok disco Santika Club that was destroyed by fire 4 years ago ?
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naomi
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Discussion 26 : 05 Jan 2013 at 02.3926
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continue..On the other hand, I have not come across Thais using religious symbols like Jesus on a Cross adapted to become doorstops or other profane objects. But in the end, when you come across these offensive stuff, it's all about one's ignorance no matter what culture you are from.
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naomi
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Discussion 25 : 05 Jan 2013 at 02.3125
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Really, there are some good points from Thais and Westerners alike. So here's another bias opinion. It seems the instances of Westerners offending Non-westerners are more than the other way around. Not too long ago, some Thai teenagers wearing nazi swastika were thought to be offensive and insensitive. Living here in the US, I see it pretty much on a daily basis. I've seen the Buddha's head used in all sorts of props, whether it's for a doorstop, paperweight, in settings other than religion and in recent trend, massage places have the buddha.
To Westerners, the Buddha image is exotic and more of a souvenir than something you worship.
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felixqui
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Discussion 24 : 05 Jan 2013 at 01.1724
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Further proof that the Thai obsession with image over substance is rooted at deep in traditional culture.

Thailand is most conspicuously not a Buddhist nation in practice, however insistently it calls itself one in name. What sort of example is that to set for youth?
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Icloh

Discussion 23 : 04 Jan 2013 at 22.5223
Billions upon billions of baht tourists bring to this country every year. They provide thousands of jobs direct and indirectly. Be gentile wit your golden egg laying goose. Because worrying more about an innocent picture then, for example raped, shot, robbed and/or stabbed tourists (all example can be found in the last week), might scare that goose away.
from iPhone application.
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ricoaj22
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Discussion 22 : 04 Jan 2013 at 22.0522
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D12 well said, and Thai culture seems to change based upon the situation to suit them.. I don't think many Thais understand what their culture is and how it is perceived by others.

In short there are more pressing things they should worry about than what 1 tourist retrospectively in 1 place.. no one was killed or injured. Move on
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