I am Buddhist and so are about 95% of people in Thailand. For us, it is more a way of life than other religions. We don't see the Buddha as a God but rather as a real person who reached enlightenment through meditation and leading a good life. When we pray or pay respect to his image we are promising him that we will do our best to be good. If you have any questions about Thailand, then please do not hesitate to post them in my All About Thailand Forums .

I took this picture at about 6.30 a.m. at my local market. People stopped the monk to give him food as a way to make merit. The monk never says thank you or makes eye contact. He blesses the people and then moves on barefoot.