Fresh from the Temple – Taste Local Delicacies, Admire the Landscape, Make Merit Offerings at Lad Long Lae-Takua Tung

The Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, working with the Phang Nga Province Cultural Office, launched a Dhamma Day temple visit program titled "Taste Local Delicacies, Admire the Landscape, Make Merit Offerings at Lad Long Lae" in Lad Long Lae, Takua Tung District, Phang Nga Province. The initiative aims to stimulate community economic activity by generating income through food, clothing, souvenirs, homestays, hotels, and tourism ventures, while promoting local knowledge and providing Buddhists with regular opportunities for merit-making, precept-keeping, and meditation. On the morning of Saturday, May 16, 2025, Department of Religious Affairs Director Chaiyapol Sukeiam led officials, administrators, and residents in visiting cultural networks, releasing crabs into mangrove forests, and meeting religious and community leaders at Ban Sam Chong School, including paying respects to Phra Prasart Sarophon (Chaiwat Issaratham), the provincial sangha leader. The program leverages the area's rich natural resources and cultural capital, including local foods, traditional crafts, performances, and community products using palm gardens as activity venues. Community members will showcase local produce such as vegetables, shrimp, shellfish, crab, fish, and seasonal fruits, along with traditional handicrafts and cultural performances to generate income and engage youth in community development. The Department of Religious Affairs is expanding this successful program by selecting locations with distinctive traditions, nearby temples, merit-offering services for tourists, traditional costume rentals, and vendor areas that boost local revenues. Director Chaiyapol emphasized that the program helps communities and encourages Buddhists to visit temples regularly for merit-making beyond just holy days.