Culture and festivalsmerit (good deeds); a temple festival noun
- bun mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
ทำบุญtam-bun = to make merit: to give food to monks, donate or help others.
You'll hear it in Phu Sao Kha Lao (ผู้สาวขาเลาะ).
How to use it
บุญbun is merit: the good that comes back to you from generosity and kindness, in this life and the next, a central idea of Thai Buddhism. You make it with ทำบุญtam-bun: giving food to monks, donating to a temple, setting birds free or helping someone in need. Someone who มีบุญmii bun, "has merit", is blessed, and the opposite of merit is บาปbàap, sin.
In Isan, a บุญbun is also a festival at the village temple, like the rocket festival, บุญบั้งไฟbun bâng-fai.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- boon
- boun
Read more
Culture Monks and Merit in Thailand: Tak Bat and How to Behave How Thais make merit, how to give alms to monks at dawn, the rules around monks (especially for women), and the words you'll hear. - Song Phu Sao Kha Lao (ผู้สาวขาเลาะ) The cheeky Isan hit that made Lamyai a star: a girl who would rather go to every village festival than study admits she likes a guy who already has a girlfriend, and waits 'on standby' for them to break up. Each Isan line maps neatly onto Central Thai, so it teaches everyday words (to know, to compete, to break up, to be hooked on someone), the Isan particles you'll hear all over the northeast, and a pun about school grades.
More culture and festivals in Thai
All culture and festivals- เพลงชาติ pleeng-châat National anthem in Thai
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