15 TUE

In Nakornsrithammarat, a submerged temple resurfaces after 47 years. Built in 1857, Laem Talumpuk Temple, ranked as one of the largest in the province, was completely destroyed when swamped by the sea during a hurricane back in 1962. Almost five decades later, the top of the temple’s stupa reappears around 80 meters from the shore whenever the tide is low. Anan Boonchot, 76, a local who remembered the period when the temple was still intact says that he never thought he would live to see it again.

17 THU

In Udornthani, a boy chops up his grandfather because he stops him from using his motorbike. Boy (not his real name), 14, asks his grandfather Kam Putsane, 63, for permission to ride a motorbike to a local annual fair. When Kam says no, Boy grabs an axe and takes a swing at his grandfather’s head. While the blow knocks his grandfather out, Boy realizes his victim is still alive. He cuts the body up into pieces, placing the different parts into fertilizer bags before ditching them in a canal. Somjai Putsane, 58, Kam’s wife, reports her husband missing and immediately suspects Boy, who has previously been charged with drug possession and spent two years at the juvenile correctional center. Upon investigation, Boy admits to having killed his grandfather because he was angry that he couldn’t go to the fair.

20 SUN

In Nakornpathom, a talking dummy gets mixed reviews. A group of villagers build “Na Phee,” a motorized talking dummy and give it to the Sawang Arom Temple in a bid to raise funds to buy caskets. Na Phee is designed to imitate a dead body and is positioned in front of a coffin, with its skull-head sporting a helmet, wearing all white and holding flowers in a wai gesture. Abbot Yatithammanuyuti says that Na Phee has done a good job in attracting temple goers’ attention and helping to collect substantial donations: enough to buy several coffins for those who can’t afford one. Others say it’s offensive and inappropriate for a dummy to be made to look like a dead body.