The Five Basic Precepts

The five great commandments of Buddhism are as follows:

1. Do not take life.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not commit adultery.
4. Don not tell untruths.
5. Refrain from all intoxicants.

So how does this reflect Thai society? Well, as Christians in the west, Thais seem to bend the rules on some occasions. Let's break it down.

Taking Life

Although most Thais try not to deliberately take life, they all love to eat. Most of the Thai cuisine includes pieces of meat, usually pork, chicken or fish. Monks also eat meat. Eating meat requires the killing of animals. So how does this fit together with the first commandment? Well, monks excuse themselves by saying that they eat whatever falls into their bowl with neither enjoyment, nor disgust. People in general might say things like "I just took the fish out of the water and it died without killing", "the chicken was already dead when I bought it" or even "the pig was only fulfilling its destiny, that's why it was born a pig". Most slaughter men in Thailand are however non-Buddhists.

Stealing

Most Thais don't steal. But some do. Thailand has a high crime rate and robberies and burglary is quite common. The Khamoys   (thieves) are not abundant but they seem very active. Most Thais also seem to like the "finders - keepers" rule. If something falls off the back of a truck, it's lost for good. More subtle forms of stealing are various ways to trick people to give away their money. The selling of "black market diamonds" that after a while proves to be nothing more than glass is an example of this.

Sex

The third precept - to refrain from adultery - is kept publicly and sometimes broken privately. Some hotels offer rooms with hourly rates and some even have a car park where a boy will put a curtain around your car to hide it from the world. This does keep the dust off it but that's not the main reason for this procedure.

Truth

Telling the truth in all situations is not an easy task. Thais don't lie more than other people. Norms of respect does however require flattery and exaggeration. Sometimes Thais will come up with a "white lie" as well as their Western counterparts. Sometimes they will be a little to truthful for Westerners taste. If somebody asks for you and you happen to be in the bathroom, they will be informed.

Intoxicants

This commandment is openly broken. Alcohol is a problem in Thailand and few Thais see anything wrong with a dink or two. Marijuana, Opium and Heroin are illegal but still consumed in quantities big enough to give Thailand a real drug addiction problem. Production and sale has been restricted in recent years and visitors should take a minute to consider the foreigners who currently reside in Thai prisons because of drug related offences.

Thais don't seem to see any big problems in all these contradictions. This might be due to the fact that Buddhists are taught that they are individually responsible for their own destiny. The destiny can be changed for the better by making merit. This can be done by keeping the five precepts or by other actions that can be easier and much more fun. Usually this merit making means giving money or something bought with money to monks or Wats. Most Thais seem happy to be able to make a balance between the merit making and the breaking of the commandments.