Samut Sakhon (Thailand) (AFP) – With her palms pressed together and her head bowed, Wassana Nak-umma vowed to give up alcohol for three months, joining millions of Thais in an abstinence campaign blending public health with spirituality.
Issued on: 03/08/2026 - 05:04Modified: 03/08/2026 - 05:13
4 min Reading time
The 42-year-old housewife, who took the pledge at a Buddhist temple in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok, admitted she used to be a "heavy drinker"."I used to get so drunk that my kids had to clean up my vomit," she told AFP candidly.But a concerned relative persuaded her to join a campaign to give up alcohol during Khao Phansa, a three-month period of reflection observed by Buddhists akin to Christian Lent."I still craved it. Whenever I saw people buying liquor or beer at stores, I would look at them and want to drink like them," she said."But I held back, telling myself it was only three months. After that three-month period, I realised, 'Hey, I can do this! Next year, I must do it again'."
People gather to mark the start of Buddhist Lent at Wat Nong Song Hong Buddhist temple in Samut Sakhon province on July 30, 2026 © Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
