Jingjok
An ordination in the family
bùat
Many Thai men บวช (ordain) as monks at least once, sometimes for a week, sometimes for the three months of the rains retreat, to make merit for their parents, especially their mother. The day before, the นาค has his head and eyebrows shaved and wears white. The next morning, family and friends parade him around the ordination hall with drums and dancing (แห่นาค), and then the solemn ceremony begins inside. Guests bring an envelope and join the fun. Women can attend but must not touch the monk-to-be once ordained, or any monk, and should hand things to monks via a cloth or a man.
Try this today
If invited to an ordination, say yes; it's a rare honour for a foreigner.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “The festival year” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.