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  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Newly ordained monks and novices pray for the first time as members of the clergy during their ordination at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya063.jpg
  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: A newly ordained novice prays for the first time as a member of the clergy during his ordination at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya065.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon174.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon171.jpg
  • 19 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Buddhist monks walk down a residential street in Yangon. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Some for just a few weeks, others for years. Some, but not all, make a lifetime commitment.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon141.jpg
  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Newly ordained monks and novices pray for the first time as members of the clergy during their ordination at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya064.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon173.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon170.jpg
  • 19 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Buddhist monks walk down a residential street in Yangon. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Some for just a few weeks, others for years. Some, but not all, make a lifetime commitment.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon140.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon175.jpg
  • 18 JUNE 2013 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Burmese Buddhist monks on the daily alms rounds on a busy street in Yangon, Myanmar. Most Burmese men join the Sangha (Buddhist clergy) at least once in their lives. Sometimes for only a few weeks, others make a lifetime commitment.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ScenesOfYangon172.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks file out of Siam Discovery shopping mall before a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking001.jpg
  • 25 OCTOBER 2017 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks at a temple in central Bangkok pray for the late king during the funeral for Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Late King of Thailand. He died in October 2016 and was cremated during an ornate five day funeral on 26 October 2017. He reigned for 70 years and was Thailand's longest serving monarch.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    FuneralDay1012.jpg
  • 31 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:           Mahayana Buddhist monks participate in a prayer service before Chinese New Year at Wat Mangon Kamlawat, the largest Mahayana (Chinese) Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese population in the world; about 14 percent of Thais are of Chinese ancestry and some Chinese holidays, especially Chinese New Year, are widely celebrated in Thailand. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or Tet (in Vietnamese communities) starts Monday February 8. The coming year will be the "Year of the Monkey."        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LunarNewYearPrep002.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage036.jpg
  • 28 SEPTEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A Buddhist monks walks through the neighborhood at Wat Kalayanamit. Fifty-four homes around Wat Kalayanamit, a historic Buddhist temple on the Chao Phraya River in the Thonburi section of Bangkok, are being razed and the residents evicted to make way for new development at the temple. The abbot of the temple said he was evicting the residents, who have lived on the temple grounds for generations, because their homes are unsafe and because he wants to improve the temple grounds. The evictions are a part of a Bangkok trend, especially along the Chao Phraya River and BTS light rail lines. Low income people are being evicted from their long time homes to make way for urban renewal.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    WatKalayanamitEvictions113.jpg
  • 28 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk walks through the Chinatown section of Bangkok.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HungryGhostDay053.jpg
  • 11 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk sprinkles people with holy water during a service to honor Queen Sirikit of Thailand before her 83rd birthday. Queen Sirikit was born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932. She is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, she was appointed Queen Regent in 1956. The King and Queen had one son and three daughters. She has not made any public appearances since her hospitalization in 2012. Her birthday is celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand, schools and temples across Thailand hold ceremonies to honor the Queen and mothers.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MeritMakingForQueen014.jpg
  • 31 JULY 2015 - KATHMANDU, NEPAL: Tibetan Buddhist monks play traditional music and pray before the full moon procession at Bodhnath Stupa. Bodhnath Stupa in the Bouda section of Kathmandu is one of the most revered and oldest Buddhist stupas in Nepal. The area has emerged as the center of the Tibetan refugee community in Kathmandu. On full moon nights thousands of Nepali and Tibetan Buddhists come to the stupa and participate in processions around the stupa. The stupa was heavily damaged in the earthquake of 25 April 2015 and people are no longer allowed to climb on the stupa, now they walk around the base and pray with butter lamps.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    FullMoonProcessionKathmandu018.jpg
  • 02 APRIL 2015 - CHIANG MAI, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: Buddhist novices pray in Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai during a prayer service to mark the 60th Birthday celebrations for HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, daughter of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, and his wife, Queen Sirikit. The Princess is revered by most Thais and her birthday is celebrated throughout Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PrincessBirthday009.jpg
  • 06 FEBRUARY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A Buddhist monk on a Chao Phraya River Express Boat in Bangkok.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MonksOnExpressBoat002.jpg
  • 26 DECEMBER 2014 - MAE KHAO, PHUKET, THAILAND: Imams from mosques in Phuket participate in a memorial service at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mae Khao, Phuket. The wall is located at the site that was used as the main morgue for people killed in the tsunami and hosts an annual memorial service. Nearly 5400 people died on Thailand's Andaman during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that was spawned by an undersea earthquake off the Indonesian coast on Dec 26, 2004. In Thailand, many of the dead were tourists from Europe. More than 250,000 people were killed throughout the region, from Thailand to Kenya. There are memorial services across the Thai Andaman coast this weekend.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    TsunamiAnniversary016.jpg
  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Newly ordained monks and novices file into the canteen for lunch after their ordination at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya068.jpg
  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Women talk to a Buddhist monk at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya066.jpg
  • 19 JULY 2014 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Men being ordained as monks file out of the ordination hall at Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Seventy-seven men from 18 countries were ordained as Buddhist monks and novices at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a Buddhist temple  north of Bangkok, Saturday. It is the center of the Dhammakaya Movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s and led by Phra Dhammachayo (Phrathepyanmahamuni). It is the largest temple in Thailand. The Dhammakaya sect has an active outreach program that attracts visitors from around the world.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MassOrdinationWatPhraDhammakaya050.jpg
  • 29 JUNE 2014 - DAN SAI, LOEI, THAILAND: Buddhist monks and novices put away a parade float after the Ghost Festival in Dan Sai. Phi Ta Khon (also spelled Pee Ta Khon) is the Ghost Festival. Over three days, the town's residents invite protection from Phra U-pakut, the spirit that lives in the Mun River, which runs through Dan Sai. People in the town and surrounding villages wear costumes made of patchwork and ornate masks and are thought be ghosts who were awoken from the dead when Vessantra Jataka (one of the Buddhas) came out of the forest. On the last day of the festival people participate in merit making ceremonies at the Wat Ponchai in Dan Sai and lead processions through town soliciting donations for the temple.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PhiTaKhon103.jpg
  • 16 APRIL 2014 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks and their novices walk to a train to take them back to their temple in the provinces after coming to Bangkok for the Songkran holiday. Thai highways, trains and buses were packed Wednesday as Thais started returning home after the long Songkran break. Songkran is normally three days long but this year many Thais had at least an extra day off because the holiday started on Sunday, so many Thais started traveling on Friday of last week.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SongkranTravel025.jpg
  • 01 MARCH 2014 - MAE SOT, TAK, THAILAND: A layperson fans Burmese Buddhist monks eating in a temple in a Burmese community in the forest a few kilometers north of Mae Sot. Mae Sot, on the Thai-Myanmer (Burma) border, has a very large population of Burmese migrants. Some are refugees who left Myanmar to escape civil unrest and political persecution, others are "economic refugees" who came to Thailand looking for work and better opportunities.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BurmeseMaeSot0301020.jpg
  • 23 JANUARY 2011 - PHOENIX, AZ:  THOMAS J. OLMSTED, Bishop of the Phoenix Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church leads the March for Life through Phoenix, AZ, Sunday. About 500 people participated in the pro-life march and rally, which marked the 38th anniversary of the US Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in the United States. Olmsted entered the national spotlight on the abortion issue after he ex-communicated a Catholic nun who authorized an abortion to save a woman's life at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix. When the hospital management supported the nun, Olmsted stripped the hospital of its Catholic status.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PHXMarchForLife007.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect donations from office and retail workers from neighboring malls during a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking019.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect donations from office and retail workers from neighboring malls during a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking017.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect donations from office and retail workers from neighboring malls during a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking016.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A woman prays before making a donation to a monk during a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking011.jpg
  • 26 JULY 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks collect donations from office and retail workers from neighboring malls during a merit making ceremony in the Pathumwan area of Bangkok to honor Thai King His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, also known as Rama X, for his 66th birthday. The King's birthday is 28 July, and events are scheduled throughout Thailand to honor His Majesty. The Pathumwan merit making was organized by businesses in the area.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PathumWanMeritMaking008.jpg
  • 13 APRIL 2018 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  People give alms to Buddhist monks to make merit during a religious observance of Songkran in Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year celebration best known for water fights.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    2018Songkran018.jpg
  • 25 FEBRUARY 2013 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Thai Buddhists gather in Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram (popularly known as either Wat Bencha or the Marble Temple) to listen to the abbot speak on Makha Bucha Day. Makha Bucha is a Buddhist holiday celebrated in Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia and Laos on the full moon day of the third lunar month (February 25 in 2013). The third lunar month is known in Thai is Makha. Bucha is a Thai word meaning "to venerate" or "to honor". Makha Bucha Day is for the veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon day of the third lunar month. Makha Bucha Day marks the day that 1,250 Arahata spontaneously came to see the Buddha. The Buddha in turn laid down the principles his teachings. In Thailand, this teaching has been dubbed the 'Heart of Buddhism'.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MakhaBuchaDay2013003.jpg
  • 25 OCTOBER 2017 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks at a temple in central Bangkok pray for the late king during the funeral for Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Late King of Thailand. He died in October 2016 and was cremated during an ornate five day funeral on 26 October 2017. He reigned for 70 years and was Thailand's longest serving monarch.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    FuneralDay1025.jpg
  • 11 AUGUST 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks lead a prayer with flower sellers in a florist's shop in Pak Khlong Talat in Bangkok. Pak Khlong Talat (literally "the market at the mouth of the canal") is the best known flower market in Thailand. It is the largest flower market in Bangkok. Most of the shop owners in the market sell wholesale to florist shops in Bangkok or to vendors who sell flower garlands, lotus buds and other floral supplies at the entrances to temples throughout Bangkok. There is also a fruit and produce market which specializes in fresh vegetables and fruit on the site. It is one of Bangkok's busiest markets and has become a popular tourist attraction.          PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    FlowerMarket0811039.jpg
  • 07 FEBRUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk lights candles during a Chinese New Year ceremony at Wat Traimit in Bangkok's Chinatown neighborhood. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or Tet (in Vietnamese communities) starts Monday February 8. The coming year will be the "Year of the Monkey." Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese population in the world; about 14 percent of Thais are of Chinese ancestry and some Chinese holidays, especially Chinese New Year, are widely celebrated in Thailand.        PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LunarNewYearsEve042.jpg
  • 31 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Mahayana Buddhist monks participate in a prayer service before Chinese New Year at Wat Mangon Kamlawat, the largest Mahayana (Chinese) Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese population in the world; about 14 percent of Thais are of Chinese ancestry and some Chinese holidays, especially Chinese New Year, are widely celebrated in Thailand. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or Tet (in Vietnamese communities) starts Monday February 8. The coming year will be the "Year of the Monkey."           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LunarNewYearPrep013.jpg
  • 31 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Mahayana Buddhist monks participate in a prayer service before Chinese New Year at Wat Mangon Kamlawat, the largest Mahayana (Chinese) Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese population in the world; about 14 percent of Thais are of Chinese ancestry and some Chinese holidays, especially Chinese New Year, are widely celebrated in Thailand. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or Tet (in Vietnamese communities) starts Monday February 8. The coming year will be the "Year of the Monkey."           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LunarNewYearPrep010.jpg
  • 14 JANUARY 2016 - CHACHOENGSAO, CHACHOENGSAO, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk blesses people who made merit at Wat Sothon. Wat Sothon, in Chachoengsao, is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Thailand. Thousands of people come to the temple every day to pray for good luck, they make merit by donating cooked eggs and cash to the temple. The temple dates from the Ayutthaya period (circa 18th century CE).           PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    WatSothon019.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage052.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage050.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage047.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage042.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage038.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage037.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage031.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage029.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND:  Monks from the Dhammakaya sect walk through the crowd at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage024.jpg
  • 02 JANUARY 2016 - KHLONG LUANG, PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: Monks from the Dhammakaya sect start the pilgrimage at Wat Phra Dhammakaya on the first day of the 5th annual Dhammachai Dhutanaga (a dhutanga is a "wandering" and translated as pilgrimage). More than 1,300 monks are participating pilgrimage through central Thailand. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to pay homage to the Buddha, preserve Buddhist culture, welcome the new year, and "develop virtuous Buddhist youth leaders." Wat Phra Dhammakaya is the largest Buddhist temple in Thailand and the center of the Dhammakaya movement, a Buddhist sect founded in the 1970s. The monks are using busses on some parts of the pilgrimage this year after complaints about traffic jams caused by the monks walking along main highways.          PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DhammakayaPilgrimage020.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:         People make merit by presenting Buddhist monks with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear048.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:          People make merit by presenting a Buddhist novice (young monk) with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear037.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:          A woman with her pet dog makes merit by presenting Buddhist monks with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear035.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:         People make merit by presenting Buddhist monks with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear033.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:         People make merit by presenting Buddhist monks with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear032.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:         People make merit by presenting Buddhist monks with alms during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear029.jpg
  • 01 JANUARY 2016 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:        Buddhist monks chant and meditate during the annual New Year's mass merit making ceremony on at Sanam Luang in Bangkok. The ceremony is sponsored by the Bangkok city government. More than 500 Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony this year. Thais usually go to temples and religious observances to meditate and make merit on New Year's Day.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKNewYear012.jpg
  • 14 DECEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk collects alms in Bang Chak Market. The market closes permanently on Dec 31, 2015. The Bang Chak Market serves the community around Sois 91-97 on Sukhumvit Road in the Bangkok suburbs. About half of the market has been torn down. Bangkok city authorities put up notices in late November that the market would be closed by January 1, 2016 and redevelopment would start shortly after that. Market vendors said condominiums are being built on the land.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BangChakMarket1214016.jpg
  • 15 NOVEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks walk past the gate of the French Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Security was heightened at the embassy after terrorists attacked civilian targets in Paris, France, on Nov. 13. The terrorists, affiliated with IS/ISIL killed more than 120 people. People left flowers at the gate to the embassy.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    FrenchEmbassy010.jpg
  • 04 NOVEMBER 2015 - YANGON, MYANMAR:  Buddhist monks on the morning alms round in Yangon, Myanmar.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BuddhismBurma001.jpg
  • 28 OCTOBER 2015 - THANLYNN, MYANMAR:  A monk in meditation during observances of Thadingyut at Kyaik Khauk Pagoda. The Thadingyut Festival, the Lighting Festival of Myanmar, is held on the full moon day of the Burmese Lunar month of Thadingyut. As a custom, it is held at the end of the Buddhist lent (Vassa). The Thadingyut festival is the celebration to welcome the Buddha’s descent from heaven.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    TazaungdIaing018.jpg
  • 28 OCTOBER 2015 - KYAUKTAN, MYANMAR:  Burmese novices (young, not yet fully ordained monks) and a friend wait to the catch a ferry to take them to Kyaik Hmaw Wun Pagoda, a pagoda on an island about two hours from Yangon during the  Thadingyut festival. The Thadingyut Festival, the Lighting Festival of Myanmar, is held on the full moon day of the Burmese Lunar month of Thadingyut. As a custom, it is held at the end of the Buddhist lent (Vassa). The Thadingyut festival is the celebration to welcome the Buddha’s descent from heaven.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    TazaungdIaing003.jpg
  • 21 OCTOBER 2015 - YANGON, MYANMAR: A Hindu priest at the Sri Kali Temple, a Hindu temple in central Yangon.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SriKaliTemple005.jpg
  • 12 OCTOBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Mahayana Buddhist novices walk across the temple grounds at Wat Mangkon Kamlawat, a large Chinese temple in Bangkok, on the first day of the Vegetarian Festival in Bangkok's Chinatown. The Vegetarian Festival is celebrated throughout Thailand. It is the Thai version of the The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. During a period of nine days, those who are participating in the festival dress all in white and abstain from eating meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. Vendors and proprietors of restaurants indicate that vegetarian food is for sale by putting a yellow flag out with Thai characters for meatless written on it in red.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    2015VegetarianFestival001.jpg
  • 28 SEPTEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A Buddhist monks walks through the neighborhood at Wat Kalayanamit. Fifty-four homes around Wat Kalayanamit, a historic Buddhist temple on the Chao Phraya River in the Thonburi section of Bangkok, are being razed and the residents evicted to make way for new development at the temple. The abbot of the temple said he was evicting the residents, who have lived on the temple grounds for generations, because their homes are unsafe and because he wants to improve the temple grounds. The evictions are a part of a Bangkok trend, especially along the Chao Phraya River and BTS light rail lines. Low income people are being evicted from their long time homes to make way for urban renewal.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    WatKalayanamitEvictions107.jpg
  • 28 SEPTEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A Buddhist monks walks through the neighborhood at Wat Kalayanamit. Fifty-four homes around Wat Kalayanamit, a historic Buddhist temple on the Chao Phraya River in the Thonburi section of Bangkok, are being razed and the residents evicted to make way for new development at the temple. The abbot of the temple said he was evicting the residents, who have lived on the temple grounds for generations, because their homes are unsafe and because he wants to improve the temple grounds. The evictions are a part of a Bangkok trend, especially along the Chao Phraya River and BTS light rail lines. Low income people are being evicted from their long time homes to make way for urban renewal.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    WatKalayanamitEvictions106.jpg
  • 28 SEPTEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A monk walks to the Wat Kalayanamit pier to catch a ferry to go to the Bangkok side of the Chao Phraya River.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKFeatures0928004.jpg
  • 02 SEPTEMBER 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk on his morning alms round in Bang Chak Market. The Bang Chak Market serves the community around Sois 91-97 on Sukhumvit Road in the Bangkok suburbs. About half of the market has been torn down, vendors in the remaining part of the market said they expect to be evicted by the end of the year. The old market, and many of the small working class shophouses and apartments near the market are being being torn down. People who live in the area said condominiums are being built on the land.         PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BangChakMarket0902003.jpg
  • 28 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Mahayana monks lead a service on Hungry Ghost Day at Wat Mangkon Kamalawat in the Chinatown section of Bangkok. Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in Chinatown. Mahayana  Buddhists believe that the gates of hell are opened on the full moon of the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar, and the spirits of hungry ghosts allowed to roam the earth. These ghosts need food and merit to find their way back to their own. People help by offering food, paper money, candles and flowers, making merit of their own in the process. Hungry Ghost Day is observed in communities with a large ethnic Chinese population, like Bangkok's Chinatown.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HungryGhostDay041.jpg
  • 24 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks lead a memorial service for victims of the Erawan Shrine bombing at the shrine Monday. One week after the a bomb at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok killed dozens and hospitalized scores of people, police have not made any arrests. Police bomb sniffing dogs have been deployed to malls and markets around Bangkok. There was a large memorial service sponsored by businesses close the bomb site Monday evening.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKBombing1Week047.jpg
  • 24 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks lead a candlelight procession to Erawan Shrine during a memorial for victims of the bombing at the Shrine. One week after the a bomb at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok killed dozens and hospitalized scores of people, police have not made any arrests. Police bomb sniffing dogs have been deployed to malls and markets around Bangkok. There was a large memorial service sponsored by businesses close the bomb site Monday evening.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKBombing1Week038.jpg
  • 24 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk comforts and prays with a boy at a memorial service for victims of the Erawan Shrine bombing. One week after the a bomb at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok killed dozens and hospitalized scores of people, police have not made any arrests. Police bomb sniffing dogs have been deployed to malls and markets around Bangkok. There was a large memorial service sponsored by businesses close the bomb site Monday evening.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKBombing1Week032.jpg
  • 24 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks presiding over a memorial service for victims of the Erawan Shrine bombing. One week after the a bomb at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok killed dozens and hospitalized scores of people, police have not made any arrests. Police bomb sniffing dogs have been deployed to malls and markets around Bangkok. There was a large memorial service sponsored by businesses close the bomb site Monday evening.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKBombing1Week027.jpg
  • 24 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  Buddhist monks presiding over a memorial service for victims of the Erawan Shrine bombing. One week after the a bomb at the Erawan Shrine in the center of Bangkok killed dozens and hospitalized scores of people, police have not made any arrests. Police bomb sniffing dogs have been deployed to malls and markets around Bangkok. There was a large memorial service sponsored by businesses close the bomb site Monday evening.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    BKKBombing1Week020.jpg
  • 19 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: Buddhist monks lead a service for members of a Malaysian family killed in the terror bombing of Erawan Shrine during the shrine's reopening. Erawan Shrine in Bangkok reopened Wednesday morning after more than 20 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a bombing at the shrine Monday, August 17, 2015. The shrine is a popular tourist attraction in the center of Bangkok's high end shopping district and is an important religious site for Thais. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ErawanShrineReopens057.jpg
  • 11 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  People make merit by presenting donations to Buddhist monks during a service to honor Queen Sirikit of Thailand before her 83rd birthday. Queen Sirikit was born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932. She is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, she was appointed Queen Regent in 1956. The King and Queen had one son and three daughters. She has not made any public appearances since her hospitalization in 2012. Her birthday is celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand, schools and temples across Thailand hold ceremonies to honor the Queen and mothers.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MeritMakingForQueen020.jpg
  • 11 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  People make merit by presenting donations to Buddhist monks during a service to honor Queen Sirikit of Thailand before her 83rd birthday. Queen Sirikit was born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932. She is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, she was appointed Queen Regent in 1956. The King and Queen had one son and three daughters. She has not made any public appearances since her hospitalization in 2012. Her birthday is celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand, schools and temples across Thailand hold ceremonies to honor the Queen and mothers.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MeritMakingForQueen018.jpg
  • 11 AUGUST 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:       An employee of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority makes an offering to Buddhist monks during a service to honor Queen Sirikit of Thailand before her 83rd birthday. Queen Sirikit was born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932. She is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand. She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was the Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, she was appointed Queen Regent in 1956. The King and Queen had one son and three daughters. She has not made any public appearances since her hospitalization in 2012. Her birthday is celebrated as Mother's Day in Thailand, schools and temples across Thailand hold ceremonies to honor the Queen and mothers.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    MeritMakingForQueen009.jpg
  • 22 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  DADODIN PATAVATTO, a Buddhist monk, leads a silent march around Government House, which is the office of the Prime Minister in Bangkok. More than 100 people from Krabi province, members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network (SACN) have staged a series of marches and sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's office. They are opposed to plans to build an 800 megawatt coal fired power plant near southern Thailand's Andaman coast about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Bangkok. The area is famous for its pristine beaches. Residents worry that the coal fired power plant will pollute the area and send power to Bangkok.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CoalPlantProtestBKK017.jpg
  • 22 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  DADODIN PATAVATTO, a Buddhist monk, leads a silent march past Thai police officers guarding Government House, which is the office of the Prime Minister in Bangkok. More than 100 people from Krabi province, members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network (SACN) have staged a series of marches and sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's office. They are opposed to plans to build an 800 megawatt coal fired power plant near southern Thailand's Andaman coast about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Bangkok. The area is famous for its pristine beaches. Residents worry that the coal fired power plant will pollute the area and send power to Bangkok.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CoalPlantProtestBKK016.jpg
  • 22 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  DADODIN PATAVATTO, a Buddhist monk, leads a silent march past Thai police officers guarding Government House, which is the office of the Prime Minister in Bangkok. More than 100 people from Krabi province, members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network (SACN) have staged a series of marches and sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's office. They are opposed to plans to build an 800 megawatt coal fired power plant near southern Thailand's Andaman coast about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Bangkok. The area is famous for its pristine beaches. Residents worry that the coal fired power plant will pollute the area and send power to Bangkok.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CoalPlantProtestBKK014.jpg
  • 22 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  DADODIN PATAVATTO, a Buddhist monk, leads a silent march around Government House, which is the office of the Prime Minister in Bangkok. More than 100 people from Krabi province, members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network (SACN) have staged a series of marches and sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's office. They are opposed to plans to build an 800 megawatt coal fired power plant near southern Thailand's Andaman coast about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Bangkok. The area is famous for its pristine beaches. Residents worry that the coal fired power plant will pollute the area and send power to Bangkok.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CoalPlantProtestBKK010.jpg
  • 22 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  DADODIN PATAVATTO, a Buddhist monk, leads a silent march around Government House, which is the office of the Prime Minister in Bangkok. More than 100 people from Krabi province, members of the Save Andaman from Coal Network (SACN) have staged a series of marches and sit-ins outside the Prime Minister's office. They are opposed to plans to build an 800 megawatt coal fired power plant near southern Thailand's Andaman coast about 650 kilometers (400 miles) south of Bangkok. The area is famous for its pristine beaches. Residents worry that the coal fired power plant will pollute the area and send power to Bangkok.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    CoalPlantProtestBKK001.jpg
  • 14 JULY 2015 - THAILAND: A Buddhist walks on damaged road in Pathum Thani province. The road bed collapsed because of subsidence. The drought that has crippled agriculture in central Thailand is now impacting residential areas near Bangkok. The Thai government is reporting that more than 250,000 homes in the provinces surrounding Bangkok have had their domestic water cut because the canals that supply water to local treatment plants were too low to feed the plants. Local government agencies and the Thai army are trucking water to impacted communities and homes. Roads in the area have started collapsing because of subsidence caused by the retreating waters. Central Thailand is contending with drought. By one estimate, about 80 percent of Thailand's agricultural land is in drought like conditions and farmers have been told to stop planting new acreage of rice, the area's principal cash crop.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    ThaiDrought0714026.jpg
  • 07 JULY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND:  A Buddhist monk walks through a military checkpoint in front of the Ministry of Defense in Bangkok before a rally to support students arrested by the military. About 100 people gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense in Bangkok Tuesday to support 14 university students arrested two weeks ago for violating orders against political assembly. They're facing criminal trial in military courts. The courts ordered their release Tuesday because they can only be held for two weeks without trial, the two weeks expired Tuesday and the military court chose not to renew their pretrial detention. The court order was not an acquittal. They still face trial and possible prison sentences if convicted.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    StudentRallyMoD003.jpg
  • 17 JUNE 2015 - YAHA, YALA, THAILAND:   An Imam uses a telescope to look for the crescent moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan in Yaha District of Yala province. Thousands of people came to Yaha District in Yala province of Thailand for the Hilal - the first sighting of the crescent moon that marks the official beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Despite cloudy weather and intermittent rain showers, the moon was sighted and religious leaders declared the official beginning of Ramadan.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HilalMoonSighting008.jpg
  • 17 JUNE 2015 - YAHA, YALA, THAILAND:   An Imam uses a telescope to look for the crescent moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan in Yaha District of Yala province. Thousands of people came to Yaha District in Yala province of Thailand for the Hilal - the first sighting of the crescent moon that marks the official beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Despite cloudy weather and intermittent rain showers, the moon was sighted and religious leaders declared the official beginning of Ramadan.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    HilalMoonSighting007.jpg
  • 02 APRIL 2015 - CHIANG MAI, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND: Buddhist monks and novices pray in Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai during a prayer service to mark the 60th Birthday celebrations for HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (in the portrait in the center of photo), daughter of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, and his wife, Queen Sirikit. The Princess is revered by most Thais and her birthday is celebrated throughout Thailand.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    PrincessBirthday001.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Buddhist monks in a tuk-tuk (three wheeled taxi) after the annual mass merit making at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105061.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Monks' robes hang to dry after being laundered at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105060.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Buddhist monks and novices at the annual mass merit making at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105058.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Buddhist monks receive alms from lay people at the annual mass merit making at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105054.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: A Buddhist monk and his assistant at the annual mass merit making at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105044.jpg
  • 15 MARCH 2015 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Buddhist monks and novices at the annual mass merit making at Wat Bo in Siem Reap. More than 1,200 Buddhist monks, from across Siem Reap province, received alms from Buddhist lay people during the morning long ceremony. Wat Bo was originally built to be a the temple for Siamese (Thai) troops when Siem Reap and western Cambodia were controlled by Siam (Thailand). Now Wat Bo is one of the most important temples in Siem Reap.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105042.jpg
  • 14 MARCH 2105 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: A Buddhist monk blesses a Cambodian woman at a monastery in the Angkor Thom part of the Angkor Wat complex. The area known as "Angkor Wat" is a sprawling collection of archeological ruins and temples. The area was developed by ancient Khmer (Cambodian) Kings starting as early as 1150 CE and renovated and expanded around 1180CE by Jayavarman VII. Angkor Wat is now considered the seventh wonder of the world and is Cambodia's most important tourist attraction.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105032.jpg
  • 14 MARCH 2105 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: A Buddhist monk blesses a Cambodian woman at a monastery in the Angkor Thom part of the Angkor Wat complex. The area known as "Angkor Wat" is a sprawling collection of archeological ruins and temples. The area was developed by ancient Khmer (Cambodian) Kings starting as early as 1150 CE and renovated and expanded around 1180CE by Jayavarman VII. Angkor Wat is now considered the seventh wonder of the world and is Cambodia's most important tourist attraction.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105030.jpg
  • 14 MARCH 2105 - SIEM REAP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA: Buddhist monks walk around the Bayon, one of the temples in Angkor Thom, a part of the Angkor Wat complex. Bayon was built in 12th or 13th century CE. The area known as "Angkor Wat" is a sprawling collection of archeological ruins and temples. The area was developed by ancient Khmer (Cambodian) Kings starting as early as 1150 CE and renovated and expanded around 1180CE by Jayavarman VII. Angkor Wat is now considered the seventh wonder of the world and is Cambodia's most important tourist attraction.  PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    SiemReap032105024.jpg
  • 07 MARCH 2015 - NAKHON CHAI SI, NAKHON PATHOM, THAILAND: A Buddhist monk gets a Sak Yant tattoo during the Wat Bang Phra tattoo festival. Wat Bang Phra is the best known "Sak Yant" tattoo temple in Thailand. It's located in Nakhon Pathom province, about 40 miles from Bangkok. The tattoos are given with hollow stainless steel needles and are thought to possess magical powers of protection. The tattoos, which are given by Buddhist monks, are popular with soldiers, policeman and gangsters, people who generally live in harm's way. The tattoo must be activated to remain powerful and the annual Wai Khru Ceremony (tattoo festival) at the temple draws thousands of devotees who come to the temple to activate or renew the tattoos. People go into trance like states and then assume the personality of their tattoo, so people with tiger tattoos assume the personality of a tiger, people with monkey tattoos take on the personality of a monkey and so on. In recent years the tattoo festival has become popular with tourists who make the trip to Nakorn Pathom province to see a side of "exotic" Thailand.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    WatBangPhraTattooFest2015026.jpg
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Jack Kurtz, Photojournalist & Travel Photographer

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