The Culture Ministry wants people to hold birthday parties at temples instead of at nightcluabs drinking alcohol.

Culture Minister Anusorn Wongwan invites people to hold more activities at temples starting from Buddhist Lent, two weeks from today. He wants them to celebrate important personal days, such as birthdays, by making merit rather than drinking alcohol in pubs.

He suggests temples offer incentives for people to have birthdays there by providing balloons and ice cream as well as Dhamma teaching. 4

Religious Affairs Department chief Sod Daeng-ied says it will have a candle-making ritual for Buddhist Lent, and present the candles to nine royal temples in Bangkok. Provincial offices will do the same.

He invites the public to a merit-making ceremony on July 17 at Wat Sa Ket and to practise Dhamma at 13 city temples. The department is distributing 70,000 prayer books.