33 replies to this topic

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

Tricky admission fee for an arranged hoax:
Now our forum features an orchestrated hoax dominantly even in it's own banner!
It has been discussed over and over on a variety of boards (lonely planet etc.!), where knowledgeable participants identified the stone face a man-made "miracle"-hoax:

(photo by jumbo kedama)

Drunken students or archeologists, working in nearby Ayutthaya placed the stony face with the appropriate tools inside the fig tree's roots around 1995 or 1996 - prior to this incident, there was never a single photo made of it. Nothing backs up the myths, which are based on a twisted religion and are told now!

It is just another lie to back up the fake as this "Buddha in the tree" now justifies admission charges to the temple compound! Targeted marketing of this hoax is widespread, and self-proclaimed travel guides see this hoax as a "must see wonder" in Ayutthaya. http://www.travelpod...athat-Ayutthaya

I used to live 20 min. south of this money grabbing entity, but have shown the real Ayutthaya and admission-free temples to all my friends. Mind you, that tour operators screw their customers daily and steer you to several places to pay so-called admission, where you can explore temple-ruins by the dozen for free. I personally treasure Buddhism, but I find religious profit centers highly objectionable!

It's no big issue, just another proven hoax to lure tourists! Do we really need to promote these practices prominently in our banner?
Please concentrate on reality, true beauty and honest things - and not on arranged traps for tourists!

[MzPlaya]

The buddha face is the only interesting thing to see in Ayutthaya. The rest is soooo boring.

I think it is genuine as there is no proof that drunken students built this, it is a really great piece of art and I find admission fees to tourist destinations are just as that is how the world works, it is just business.

What I really do not like, is some temples who sell little cute birds in small cages to release. That should be illegal and it is not a very buddist thing to do.

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

Sciences teaches well, of what roots of figs are capable of doing. It is a fake, has been acknowledged as being a fake - and best of all: I have visited countless temples all over the country admission-free, if there is a fee collected for a cause - fine! If the fee is being collected for an orchestrated hoax - sorry, I boycott and laugh!

Hoaxes remain hoaxes, even when uninformed believers pray to it or pay admission to get ripped!

Quote from lonely planet forum about this face-thing:

Quote

Do you mean the real one or the fake at Wat Mahathat?

That Buddha head was placed there about ten years ago by a rather mischievous and drunken group of Thai Archeologists from the local Rajabhat.

Makes for a good photo though.

It's a Bhodhi Tree (fiscus religiosa)

[MzPlaya]

Yes but some expats in Thailand (especially in Sukhumvit) have made up a lot of stories to discredit everything Thai. Unless proof is shown through real scientific studies, then it should be seen as legit.
People saying it has been scientific proven as to it actually been scientific proven is much different.

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

@ my playa
With all due respect, but that defense is weak and doesn't take away the fact - that no previous pictures or proofs of said face are in existence or on the net. Fact is, that the tree was covered in part with yellow ribbons to prevent public view (and hold the implemented relic in place). This is documented. Show ne any picture of the face partially submerged or close to the earth it supposedly emerged from . It was at all times photographed and pictured well above the earth! Everything fits the drunken archeologist's story so well!
Sorry, nobody needs to discredit Thailand with made up stories. Reality is outrageous enough!

[ROY]

...Thai magic

[Skippy]

It is still debatable wheather it is or not.
It is a good piece of art regardless.
I also agree it is the only thing interesting in Ayutthaya anyway.

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

Skippy, on 13 March 2010 - 09:24 PM, said:

It is still debatable wheather it is or not.
It is a good piece of art regardless.
I also agree it is the only thing interesting in Ayutthaya anyway.

Well, as long as we agree on a fake, whose entire existence is arranged for the sole purpose to extract money from tourist. Buddhist scholars voiced their objection and disbelief and I can follow them and there. Manipulation for profit of a "Natural wonder" - It tosses a true UNESCO-site in a pretty bad light. After 30+ odd biketrips to Ayutthaya off the beaten tourist tour path, I have plenty of Ayutthaya documents to do some feature stories on the former capital.

Been there with a professional "storyteller" a.k.a. tourist guide yourself?

[ROY]

Skippy, on 13 March 2010 - 09:24 PM, said:

It is still debatable wheather it is or not.
It is a good piece of art regardless.
I also agree it is the only thing interesting in Ayutthaya anyway.

The local girls are interesting...

[MzPlaya]

I still see no real evidence, only assumptions. I have reasearched this assumption and still no evidence, only speculation.
Fact, there is no evidence.

[Reaper]

Interesting, I did not even know the story behind that buddhaface tree. I also totally agree that Ayutthaya was the worst tour I ever did, it is boring as hell and so dam hot.
It should be boycotted for being so boring.

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

MzPlaya, on 14 March 2010 - 03:27 PM, said:

I still see no real evidence, only assumptions. I have reasearched this assumption and still no evidence, only speculation.
Fact, there is no evidence.

Face the facts Missy and don't preach to me that the evidence of photos isn't proof enough!
The full face sports every existing picture, way above ground. Show one that has the face emerging from the soil or even near it! Biologists can verify, that trees neither give birth to statues nor do they lift them straight off the ground, figtrees are known to encapsulate artificially embedded objects or even entire walls, don't believe this either? Travel to Banteay Srey in Cambodia and witness it

This is only one of many hoaxes to extract money from tourists, Thailand is gaining fame for that!

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

This is, what real, unmanipulated fig trees do:






Pictured like hundreds of other figs during my wild years in Cambodia!

[MrT]

All the fuss over a tree?

[Diddles]

Hhmmm trees now if I study those pics closely I can see several different things

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

Sorry, duplicate posting

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

How many hoaxes to attract spending tourists have you personally encountered? How many of those knowingly?

My ranking of the trickery:

1. Fireballs in the Mekhong river
2. Buddhaface in a tree at Wat Mahatat
3. Longneck Karean on display in Chiang Mai
4. Phra Viharn "National Park", before you can enter the real thing in Cambodia
5. Bridge on the River Kwai
6. "Burmese" village at western bridge head of Kwae-bridge

can you add to this or do you believe in Santa still?

[Spade]

Frank P. Schneidewind, on 24 March 2010 - 04:35 PM, said:

How many hoaxes to attract spending tourists have you personally encountered? How many of those knowingly?

My ranking of the trickery:

1. Fireballs in the Mekhong river
2. Buddhaface in a tree at Wat Mahatat
3. Longneck Karean on display in Chiang Mai
4. Phra Viharn "National Park", before you can enter the real thing in Cambodia
5. Bridge on the River Kwai
6. "Burmese" village at western bridge head of Kwae-bridge

can you add to this or do you believe in Santa still?

I think you believe in Santa, I suppose you think the US government also attacked its nation on 9/11.

[Frank P. Schneidewind]

Lived already for years n Thailand, when 9/11 happened So hoaxes and trickery at my doorstep are on my mind, those on the other side of this planet are not a topic here

...ad yes, I play Santa yearly for those who deserve it

[Damo]

My friend picked up a bar girl last Saturday and said her rack shrunk because she was wearing one of those wonder bra's.
That my friend is true trickery.