I am 14 - Where should I ordain in Thailand?

Question

Next year I plan to go through he AFS intercultural program to become a foreign exchange student. I want to go to Thailand because I've had my mind set on it for just under 2 years now. I love the culture and I have done enough research to know that I want to go there. I would be staying with a host family, though I want to ordain as either a monk or a lay person.

I plan to go next year after school ends, so I will be 15 by then.

How likely is it that my host family will allow me to ordain? I know that almost every male in Thailand does ordain at one point in their life.

I would love to see Bangkok, but when I ordain I do not want to be around the hustle & bustle of the city. I would rather live in a poor monastery instead of a wealthy one. I know that some parts of Thailand are run down and have less money... and others like to hog he money...

Help me out all you can, THANKS.

Answer 1

I know who you are and I'm glad to see you still have an interest in Thailand.  I would suggest you look for ways to learn to speak Thai as it will help you on your journey.  I just purchased some thai language courses on Ebay for made by the foreign Service Institute (FSI) about $15 bucks and I would recommend you purchase it and study. It going to be hard to get into a monastery without speaking Thai especially outside Bangkok.

I think the answer to your question is going to depend on your host family and your parents.  I might suggest the Wat at That Phanom, it's very famous and many of the people who study there are from both Laos and Thailand.  Mostly likely you AFS family will be from Bangkok and I doubt you can go away 800km for school.

The Buddhist chants are in a language from India called Pali and not Thai but it will be hard to take direction from people who you can't understand.

My wife asks me about you every so often.

Answer 2

Go for it if you can and want it.  I think the AFS program coordinators will have a say in this.  Remember your here to study while learning the culture, so your time may be limited.  Also living at a wat your need to have some skills in the Thai language.  Recommend you try the Northeastern part of Thailand if you want to go to a poor area of the country.  Also you should be talking to your own family about this before you ask about a host family.  Maybe even one of the people who answer questions here from Nakhon Phanom may take you in.

Answer 3

d**n you are young.

Anyways I think that the family will be glad that you wanna ordain & become a monk.

Answer 4

The English word for someone your age entering the temple as a monk is 'novice'.

What part of Bangkok will you be in, and how long will do you plan to be at the temple?  I have lived in and around Bangkok for a few years (but I am upcountry now), and can guide you to a place near you that will suit you well.

You should know that before you can enter the temple as a novice you need to be able to recite a couple prayers in Thai before they will let you in (depending on the Temple, as- in theory- they can all have different requirements as they are autonomous), but there are 2 prayers that seem to be standard requirement for being at a novice at the temple.

Anyway, send me an email, and I think I can get you in touch with one or two temple that will suit you fine.