Thais regularly use temples when they want to socialise.

Fancied a beer this evening. Passed a fair at the local temple where music was playing, so stopped to take a look.

Very much like old-fashioned church fêtes and fairs. A shooting gallery, throwing darts for a goldfish. Kids laughing and enjoying the bouncy castle. They had a trampoline there too. That did not seem so popular.

Many food and snack stalls. No beer tent — well, it is a wat — so bought a refreshing cold chocolate drink. Later, there’ll be dancing and singing right up to midnight. Nobody I spoke to knew what the wat was celebrating by hosting a fair. Provided the karaoke machine does not blow a fuse or the stalls run out of food, I don’t think it matters. People use wats a great deal in Thailand to meet people and enjoy themselves.

The temple will get a donation at the end of the night from the money made by the stallholders.