Photo: youtube.com
As a nation that makes some of the funniest advertisements in the world, it is no surprise that we are resorting to humour yet again to encourage less drinking on the advent of Buddhism’s most important period — Buddhist Lent. While monks are required to be in one particular temple or place, followers of the faith are encouraged to visit temples, listen to sermons and abstain from drinking alcohol, as one of the five precepts of the religion.
This year, the annual slogan comes in a catchy and funny rhyming suggestion that says: “Duem ma nuk, puck tub barng”, which roughly translates to “After drinking heavily, let the liver rest”. In the past, the catch word has always been to abstain from drinking on the day that Buddhist Lent begins, and this year’s campaign tweaks the words in the other tagline (Ngod lao kao phansa), from kao to krob, which encourages the nation to not drink throughout the whole three months of Lent as opposed to just the first day.
Even if you don’t get bombarded by these billboards and bus-wraps that fill the city, it’s still likely that you’ll get the message by ear. In an upbeat luk thung song, comedian Teng Turdtung sings about giving your liver a rest from booze in Puck Tub. Despite containing seemingly preachy messages, it’s actually a laugh to watch and makes for a festive and cheery song any temple fair would welcome. The song and music video, which can be found on YouTube, was created by Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Workpoint Entertainment. Mor Lab Panda, a popular Facebook page that dishes out medical advice in an easy way to digest, also has a couple of gut-busting memes for you to scroll through that touch on the subject of getting liver disease from drinking too much. Give it a click through or play the song if you need a little nudge, but there’s always the 1413 hotline that you can call for help on quitting.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.