Help from the Land of Smiles
In a Buddhist temple complex in Henan province, nine Thais have been working from 6 am to 5 pm almost every day for more than three years.
The workers break for lunch for only half an hour. They are put up in small living quarters and, apart from watching DVDs they have brought from home, they have no other form of amusement or leisure.
The workers are racing against the clock to extend a Thai-style shrine at White Horse Temple in Luoyang. The shrine was built in 1995 and funding for its construction came from Thai donors.
One of the nine Thai workers is power engineer Manot Pakpoomjit, who is monitoring the project. The 25-yearold came three months ahead of graduating from university. He looks forward to returning home to visit his 80-year-old mother about twice a year.
“An old monk had asked me if I wanted to come to China but I said ‘no’ almost immediately,” said Manot.
But Manot soon changed his mind after learning that the monk was asking him to help build a Thai-style temple complex in China.
When he found out that he would be helping to build the first such temple complex in China, Manot packed his bags for the country. He would be able to help “make Chinese see a Thai temple without going to Thailand”.
Manot said he can make 10,000 ($1,600) to 20,000 yuan a month in Thailand with his expertise, but he makes only 6,000 yuan a month in China.
“I’m here not for money. We Thais are strong believers of Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha). We want more Chinese to know Thailand,” he said.
Facing barriers like language when he first arrived, Manot has overcome them and now communicates easily with his Chinese colleagues and friends.
“I didn’t even know what ‘ nihao’ (how are you in Chinese) meant when I arrived,” he said.
Getting used to local life has not been easy for the nine.
“It’s hot with high humidity in Thailand and the temperature doesn’t change much,” he said,
“The temperature here can drop greatly when it rains, from more than 28 C to less than 10 C. That makes us catch cold easily.”
As a meat eater, Manot also has to settle for simple vegetarian breakfasts and lunches with the monks. The Thais will cook their own meals in the evenings but even these will be made up of vegetables.
“Sometimes, we add some special seasoning to the dishes to make it taste like meat,” Manot said. The Thais will venture out of the temple to eat meat two or three times a week.
Manot has since put on 20 kg after arriving at the temple.
“Eating mostly vegetarian dishes makes me hungry very fast after work. So I end up eating a lot,” he said.
The Thais can also go out of the temple for amusement, but are usually too tired to do so after a hard day’s work.
Still, he believes it is all worth it.
“The temple we build here is beautiful, even more beautiful than those in Thailand. We are building it with our heart.”