Tak Bat on the Mon Bridge in Kanchanaburi

2016-02-10 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Tak bat refers to the Buddhist practice where monks beg for food to eat. For Buddhists, giving alms to these monks is believed to be the best way to build merit, so many people offer money and food. In Korean Buddhism, alms giving is banned out of respect for the monks' authority and consideration for other religions. Because of this, the alms giving processions you only see in Buddhist countries like Thailand and Myanmar feel incredibly unfamiliar and exotic to me.

The Mon Bridge itself has such a unique charm that it's an attraction in its own right. However, Thai people, including the friends I came with, visit to offer alms during the procession that starts at dawn. Tourism centered around someone's personal religious beliefs is something I've experienced before, but it still feels fascinating. On the flip side, I probably look like an absolute alien, just sightseeing out of mindless curiosity.

A tree-lined uphill road in the dark early morning

Women in traditional clothing walking down the street. — Am I the only one thinking of the Nameless Gangster movie poster?

We stayed up late last night talking about the "acceptable boundaries of physical contact between male and female friends in Thailand," so I woke up late today. I heard we had to leave before sunrise at dawn to catch the alms giving procession. Perhaps out of consideration for me, we headed out at 6:30 AM. The problem is, I was still so sleepy. I already need a lot of sleep, and since I went to bed late, I demonstrated the amazing skill of walking while nodding off right here in Thailand. I really wonder how other people manage to cut down on their sleep.

Feet of a person standing wearing zori sandals — This is what I look like trying to dress as cleanly as possible. Pants I bought yesterday and flip-flops. When I showed this photo back in Korea, everyone's expression said, 'Figures.'

Back view of people in traditional clothing walking along the street

A street vendor selling food and people buying items

A street stall selling various foods displayed on a table

A person holding white flowers wrapped in paper

I guess they weren't kidding when they said we were late. At the entrance, many people were already walking around with the food and flowers they bought for alms, and the vendors at the entrance were almost sold out. It seemed like the procession was already over. The procession itself is only meaningful to me; for them, the act of giving alms is what's important. Even when buying a single package of food, they choose it as carefully as if they were picking out their own meal, and then they buy flowers to go with it. Whenever they buy something, they always include one for me. I'm so grateful that they always take care of me like this, letting me actively participate instead of just watching.

A group of people in traditional clothing holding flowers on a bridge — She acts like this whenever she sees a guy.

A child with thanaka (traditional cosmetic paste) on their face affectionately hugging two women

A woman looking at a smartphone with a child wearing thanaka on their face

A smiling woman with a child wearing thanaka on their face — Such a cute Myanmar baby. She keeps smiling even though the older girls are overly affectionate with her.

A crowded street with vendors and people preparing alms offerings

A person holding a tray of alms offerings including flowers, rice, and snacks — There are even more street stalls as you enter the bridge. The items they sell are pretty much the same.

Back view of a monk collecting alms and numerous people walking on a wooden bridge

A woman on a bridge bowing with her hands together to an ascetic in white clothes — When you offer alms, the monks start chanting sutras.

People sitting while a monk in orange robes collects alms on a wooden bridge — Oh! This is the monk I saw yesterday... He's super popular.

Women placing offerings into a monk's alms bowl

A monk in orange robes standing with an alms bowl while a person wearing a helmet organizes a sack next to him — When they receive alms, they put it straight into a sack that looks like a rice bag. After collecting alms like this, the monks take the sacks to share with beggars or the poor first, and only take a little bit back to the temple to eat last.
When you give alms, they chant a Buddhist prayer for you. It seems to be a blessing, and everyone receives it on their knees with sincere gratitude.

A woman and children taking a commemorative photo with a monk on a wooden bridge

A man standing side-by-side taking a photo with a monk in orange robes on a wooden bridge

A hand holding a banknote-shaped paper printed with a monk's image and Thai text — When you give alms to this monk, he gives you something like money in return. I think it's money meant to be used in the afterlife.

Remember the guy who was shouting yesterday, telling everyone to come watch him jump off the Mon Bridge tomorrow? He actually does the jumping performance. It looks like it would really hurt if he jumped wrong, but he dives every 5 minutes. It's the most fascinating and completely free performance I've ever seen. However, crawling back up the bridge after the dive looks incredibly exhausting.

A paper with Thai text and a drawing of a diving person attached to a bridge railing, with a paper box containing banknotes below it

A shirtless boy hanging from a wooden structure over the water — His body, wow~

A shirtless man leaning on a bridge railing looking at the river, with a paper box and a notice placed next to him — The expression he makes when urged to jump again.

A shirtless man smiling while leaning on a bridge railing, and a paper box containing money — I like this guy because he shows off this smile so often.

We moved to the market, where people were lined up waiting, saying the alms giving procession would be arriving soon. Since it wasn't early morning anymore, I thought it was over, but apparently, the procession starts at the Mon Bridge, circles far around the village, and is on its way back. The tension rises as people who look like officials clear the path. People wait with bated breath for their arrival. To a foreigner, the procession might just look like monks taking a walk. But the people gathered here didn't come just to watch the procession from the sidelines. They gathered to personally offer alms, so they eagerly wait for it. When you actually see the alms giving procession, it's quiet, without any music. As soon as they receive the food, they put it into the rice sacks next to them, so it's hard to understand why people are so tense and expectant. I suppose it's a noble feeling that I, who just came to take a look, can't quite grasp.

People in traditional clothing standing in a line on a wooden bridge waiting to give alms

People offering food to monks in orange robes on the street

Numerous people standing in a long line on the street offering alms to monks