Improved Fast Decoupled Power Flow

The power flow analysis is a very important and tundamental tool in power system analysis. Its results play the major role during the operational stages of any system for its control and economic schedule, as well as during expansion and design stages The purpose of any load flow analysis is to compute precise steady-state voltages and voltage angles of all buses in the network, the real and reactive power flows into every line and transformer, under the assumption of known generation and load.During the second half of the twentieth century, and after the large technological evelopments in the fields of digital computers and high-level programming languages, many methods for solving the load flow problem have been developed, such as indirect Gauss-Siedel (bus admittance matrix). direct Gauss-Siedel (bus impedance matrix).Newton-Raphson (NR) and its decoupled versions Nowadays, many Improvements have been added to all these methods involving assumptions and approximations of the trans mission lines and bus data, based on real systems conditions The Fast Decoupled Power Flow Method (FDPFM) is one of these improved methods, which was based on a simplification of the Newton-Raphson method and reported by Stott and Alsac in 1974[4]. This method and due to its calculations simplifications, fast convergence and reliable results became the most widely used method in load flow analysis.However, FDPFM for some cases, where high RA ratios or heavy loading (Low Voltage) at some buses are present, does not converge well. For these cases, many efforts and developments have been made to overcome these convergence obstacles. some of them targeted the convergence of systems with hgh RIX ratios, others those with low voltage buses However, one of the most recent developments is a Robust Fast Decoupled Power Flow developed by Wang and u; it Is ased on heuristic justification and general voltage normalization methods [171 and solves both high RIX ratios and low bus voltages problem s simultaneously.Though many efforts and elaborations have been achieved in order to improve the and simulations are becoming more developed and are now able to handle and analyze large size system. Today, and after reaching processor's speeds higher than 3 GHz, any improvement in the speed of convergence of the power flow method, provided it leads to reliable results, is of great value. This speed improvement is very important when involved in operational stages of power distribution, where any illisecond saving can hugely increase the probability of the right decision, of the control and dispatch computerized system.This paper works on providing computing savings (in flops) and thus higher speed of convergence of the FDPFM based on the initial approximation in which real power changes are considered to be most sensitive to variations in voltage angle and much less to those of voltage magnitude, as well as on the high sensitivity of reactive power changes to variations in voltage m agnitude and much less to those of voltage angle. In this paper, the attention was focused on the update of the voltage angle (6) and oltage magnitude (V) in each iteration, based on the improvement of flops achieved, and obviously on the results obtained.The results of these improvements and the comparative analysis with the Newton-Raphson and classical FDPFM will be presented using the three IEEE bus systems of 14, 30 and 57-bus, although the IFDPFM can be applied to any size bus system. II. Fast Decoupled Power Flow Method As the FDPFM is derived from the Newton-Raphson we will start from the matrix representation of NR, apply some simplifications and approximations, to reach the equations of the FDPFM.The matrix representation of the N-R method [17] is: O APOOH Where I IVJI IYiJl +6]) And -2 cos Bit +2 cos -6i +6]) Nii – = I VI II YiJ I cos (B iJ- 6i + 6]) Nil (7) -2 IYiil stn +2 IVJI IYiJl cos -6i +6]) Now, for typical power system branches: XIR and ; 200 (10) between AQ and A6, hence N and J entries of the initial matrix of (1) can be ignored leading to the following decoupled equations: (12) Now, the diagonal elements of H according to Stott and Alsac [4] can be written as: IVi12Bii (13) Where Bii = I Yill sin Bii is the imaginary part of the diagonal elements of the bus admittance matrix Ybus.Further simplifications can be applied to equation (12), by considering Bii Qi and I Vil 2 z I Vil yielding to the following simplified Hit: Hii=- (14) Also, as under normal operating conditions 6] – 6i is quite small, thus Bii – 6i + 6] Bit, and IVJI 1, the off-diagonal elements of the matrix H can be written as: HIJ I Vil (15) Similarly, the diagonal elements of the L matrix can be written as: Lil † (16) And its off- diagonal elements as: LiJ=-lVll (17) Applying these assumptions to equations (11) and (12) we get: =-B'A6 I vil (18) (19) where B' and B† are the imaginary part of the bus admittance matrix Ybus , such thatB' contain s all buses admittances except those related to the slack bus, and B† is B' deprived from all voltage-controlled buses related admittances. Finally, all these approximations and simplifications lead to the following successive voltage magnitude and voltage angle updating equations: (20) IVI (21) These equations formed the basis of the iteration scheme upon which the Matlab software written and then updated. Ill.Updated Algorithm The algorithm written according to the equations derived in the previous section is as follows: Step 1: Creation of the bus admittance Ybus according to the lines data given y the IEEE standard bus test systems. Step 2: Detection of all kinds and numbers of buses according to the bus data given by the IEEE standard bus test systems, setting all bus voltages to an initial value of 1 pu, all voltage angles to O, and the iteration counter iter to O.Step 3: Creation of the matrices B' and B† according to equations (18) and (19). Step 4: If max (AP, A Q) accuracy then Go to Step 6 else 1. Calculation of the H and L elements of equations (14), (1 5), (16), (17). 2. Calculation of the real and reactive power at each bus, and checking if Mvar of generator buses re within the limits, otherwise update the voltage magnitude at these buses by ? ±2 3. Calculation of the power residuals, AP and AQ. 4.Calculation of the bus voltage and voltage angle updates AV and A6 according to equations (19) and (20). 5. Update of the voltage magnitude V and the voltage angle 6 at each bus. 6. Increment of the iteration counter iter = iter + 1 then Go to Step 4 Print out ‘Solution did not converge' and go to Step 6 Step 6: Print out of the power flow solution, computation and display of the line flow and losses. The update of this algorithm was based on the weak coupling between AP and AV, nd between AQ and A6, explained in the previous section.Specifically, in the fourth subroutine of Step 4 of the initial algorithm, and instead of updating the voltage magnitude and the voltage angle once and simultaneously in each iteration, the improved algorithm updated either the voltage angle or the voltage magnitude at each bus, Jumped to subroutine 1 to recalculate the real and reactive power and then updated the second variable based on what was updated first.Moreover, and for more speed improvements and convergence reliability, the update of one of the two variables was repeated several times, holding the other ariable at its last calculated value, which reduced the number of floating point operations of the algorithm and thus lead to the faster convergence of the IFDPFM. IV. Numerical Analysis The performance of the IFDPFM was tested on IEEE 14, 30 and 57-bus systems with a convergence accuracy of 10-3 on a MVA base of 100 or equivalently 10-1 MVA for both power residuals AP and AQ.This numerical analysis involved a speed comparison between the NR method, the FDPFM and the IFDPFM based on the number of flops (floating point oper ations) of each algorithm implementing each method, rather than on any other basis, because he flops count is independent from the CPU speed or the specific programming language used. In addition, as mentioned in the previous part, the algorithm of this paper updated the voltage angle several times before updating the voltage magnitude or vice versa which resulted in a different flops count for each combination used for the same IEEE bus system.These combinations will be noted according to the number of loops of update of each variable. For instance, updating twice the voltage angle (6) and then once the voltage magnitude (V) in the same iteration will be written as (2;1). Note that any flops number without the previous notation will be the one of the best case of the updated algorithm. Moreover, for any combination to be listed in this paper it should have satisfied the condition of no more than 3 % deviation of its results from that of the NR method.The bar graph in Figure 1 shows a comparison based on the number of flops between the NR, FDPFM and the best case of IFDPFM for the three IEEE standard bus systems used in this paper. Number of flops per method per system 934. 573 305. 126 314. 925 157. 310 System 57 4,421. 752 2,841. 646 14 30. 823 56. 829 24. 574 1 ,ooo ,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 Flops IFDPFM FDPFM 4,000 4,500 (Thousands) Fig. 1: Flops Comparison between the 3 methods. It is clearly seen that the IFDPFM requires much less flops to converge as compared to FDPFM or NR.This flops saving is proportional to the system size and as shown, increases with the increase of the number of buses. Obviously, this improvement in the number of flops will make the IFDPFM converge much faster than the two other methods whatever CPU used. Numerically, and for the biggest system involved in this paper (IEEE 57-Bus System), the IFDPFM revealed a flops saving of about 67 % when ompared with the FDPFM and about 78 % when compared with the NR.Normally, and as mentioned bef ore, this saving goes down to the order of 50 % for the two smaller bus systems. In addition, and in order to reach the best case presented above, different strategies of updating the voltage angle (6) and the voltage magnitude (V) were tested and compared first with the FDPFM then with the NR. Figure 2 below the percentage of flops of IFDPFM versus that of the FDPFM, for 10 different updating strategies and for the three IEEE systems.Percentage Flops IFDPFM vs FDPFM 75 50 25 Delta;Voltage Loops IFDPFM14 IFDPFM30 IFDPFM57 Fig. 2: % of flops of IFDPFM vs. FDPFM for different voltage angle and voltage magnitude updating strategies. At the first look, it is seen that for the three systems, three parallel curves are sketched with most values less then 75 % of the FDPFM. This parallel property of this graph shows the consistency of the algorithm in its number of flops variation for each strategy for each system studied.Also, it is seen that for low number of voltage magnitude and voltage angle loops the IFDPFM can't be more efficient than FDPFM, but for a slightly higher number the IFDPFM shows great improvement in flops saving nd reaches the highest improvement at the point (4;3), where in each iteration, the voltage angle was updated four times while the voltage was kept at its initial value and then 6 was kept at its last value and V updated three times.Numerically, and for the best case of IFDPFM (4;3), the new algorithm showed a flops saving of 57 % for the 14-bus system, 50% for the 30-bus system, and 68% for the 57-bus system. Figure 3 below shows the percentage of flops of IFDPFM versus that of the NR, for 10 different updating strategies and for the three IEEE systems. IFDPFM vs NR 175 150 25 Fig. 3: % of flops of IFDPFM vs. NR for different voltage angle and voltage magnitude updating strategies.Basically, the same comments of the comparison of IFDPFM with FDPFM apply in this comparison. However, here the flops saving is much more significant and is propo rtional to the system size. Numerically, we have a 21 % flops saving for the 14-bus system, 49 % for the 30-bus system and 78% for the 57-bus system. Finally, it is remarked that when compared with NR, IFDPFM savings showed a high variation in their percentage, mainly because they are highly proportional to the

Computer Literacy Essay

Introduction: †¢ How many people in this classroom learn to use computer? As I look around, no one in this classroom, don’t use computer in their offices. †¢ We are all students of AIC, and most likely gone to different basic computer course. †¢ Does studying computer affect the way we communicate? And if so, is this a bad thing? Development †¢ As our society, increasingly dependent on computers to take care of our daily needs, it creates a high demand for skilled professionals to maintain as well as take advantage of this technology. o Pose-Pause-Pounce-Praise †¢ Questions 1. Why do we need to study the use of computer? 2. What is the personal cost as â€Å"studying a computer† becomes a necessity? (requirement, obligation, essential) †¢ We have to go in training †¢ Read & Practice †¢ Tutorial 3. When is the last time you use a computer? †¢ 4. What will you do, if you don’t know how to use computer in case of presentation or research? †¢ Library, other resources 5. Amplify †¢ I’m referring to computer literacy. As computer literacy becomes a necessity, we are faced with the facts that we are in a ever-changing society that demands the use of technology †¢ We will keep putting aside the cost of this literacy as long as we only see the positive aspects of a technology-centered future. KEYPOINT 2: IMPORTANCE OF COMPUTER †¢ Questions 1. What is the significance of having a computer in our work? 2. When is the last time that your office procures or upgrades your computer because of increasing demands from your clients? 3. What applications do use in your computer? 4. What will happen if we still use typewriters to share information? 5. Amplify †¢ Information and communication are the two most important strategic issues for the success of every organization. Computers help us to solve this issues.

Mubadala Development Company (MDC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Mubadala Development Company (MDC) - Essay Example This is followed by a critical analysis of its organisational culture in relation to its stated mission and vision and the way it is implemented in its operations so as to ensure optimal performance of the organisation. Recommendations will also be given at the end so as to suggest the best possible ways that can be implemented to ensure that there is compliance between the organisational culture and its stated goals. Basically, the report seeks to explore the extent to which the concept of organisational culture affects the overall performance of the whole organisation MDC is a company owned by the government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. MDC is a catalyst for investment by the government of Abu Dhabi and according to its website, it has so far invested in areas including aerospace, health automotive, telecommunication, building of ships and energy among others. It is a catalyst of economic diversification in Abu Dhabi and the company’s strategy is based on the ma nagement of long term, capital intensive investments that deliver strong financial returns and tangible social benefits for the Emirates. MDC was established in October 2002 as a Public Joint Stock Company in Abu Dhabi through a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The Government of Abu Dhabi is its sole shareholder. As a Public Joint Stock Company, Mubadala functions much like an incorporated entity in the United States or a â€Å"plc† in the United Kingdom.

Responsibilities of a Team in Managing Resources Assignment

Responsibilities of a Team in Managing Resources - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the organization has to make use of its resources to achieve its objectives. Therefore, the team has to ensure that the group members aim at attaining the set standards by making proper use of the resources to avoid wastage. The team acts as the organization’s ambassadors. The team together with the stakeholders and the board develop strategies for future operations and give recommendations on the appropriate course of actions in the management of resources. More often, management of resources depends on the recommendations of the team-leaders and leadership of the organization. The team plays a critical role ensuring that it gives relevant information on the management of resources. It also keeps an eye on the progress of the organization in its operation. It acts as a watchdog on how the organization operates and making use of its resources. Constant monitoring of the organization ensures those resources are used appropriately a nd wastage is reduced significantly. Lastly, the team has a duty of advising the management team on the proper use of resources. There is no doubt that most managers cannot manage the organization effectively without the help of other staff and groups. These are the information sources on how the organization can be managed. The team, advice on particular areas the organization can do to manage its resources effectively. Resource plan is a document that explains the aim and purpose of the team, how it operates as well as the expected outcomes. They are simply the ‘roadmaps’ that ensures that the organization achieves its goals. Most importantly, this plan ensures that the organization uses its resources as intended thus achieving its objectives. Although the organization may face challenges, it provides a guideline on how to make use of the available resources and attain its success.

Are males and females motivated differenlty in PE Essay

Are males and females motivated differenlty in PE - Essay Example The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire to establish the gender differences in the motivation of students to participate in sports. The author, Nathalie Koivula, used a seven-point scale very similar to the one used by this author in the questionnaire created for this study. The author also discussed relevant research and studies previously conducted by other researchers. Koivuli (1999) concluded hr findings after explaining the results by stating that: The findings of the present study suggest that gender and gender-based processing correlate with the reasons given for participation in sports, some of which have been demonstrated in the present study, as well as earlier ones, to correlate with both frequency and the amount of time spent participating. It is therefore of interest to include these variables when generating and elaborating theoretical models to explain sport behavior. This article is useful to this study in that gender differences with regards to motivation is discussed in detail. This author was able to glean important points that was explained in the discussion section of this dissertation. It is important to note that although Koivuli had different results than this author, a point of comparison was made and an improvement in the motivation for participating in PE classes was seen as a result. Student Motivation in Physical Education: Breaking Down Barriers; Student Motivation in Physical Education Typically Declines after the Early Years. Why? and What Can Be Done about It? By Claire M. Mowling et al. This article discusses student motivation with regards to participation in Physical Education classes. The author delves into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how they present a problem with regards to students not being encouraged that much to participate actively in PE classes. The author then proceed to outline methods on how to bring down the barriers and improvements that can be made in order to address the issue

Factors of production and circular flow of income Coursework - 1

Factors of production and circular flow of income - Coursework Example This assumption is made in order to facilitate deductions from theories, holding all except one variable constant. For example the demand curve is drawn holding all factors affecting demand, except price, constant. (Wessels, 2006) Economics is built upon three concepts of scarcity, choice and opportunity cost. Scarcity refers to unlimited wants and limited resources that involve making a choice as resources need to be allocated in alternative uses. All economic agents face the basic economic problem and the choices they make involves a tradeoff. (Wessels, 2006) Economics can be divided into two parts that is Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Microeconomics deals with individual units such as households, firms, markets etc. for example individual demand for bicycle in the economy, or market demand for cars. On the other side Macroeconomics deals with aggregates and the economy as a whole, i.e. what determines the price of all goods. For example aggregate demand for all goods and serv ices in the economy. (Wessels, 2006) Analyses in economics are based on positive and normative statements. Positive statements refer that can be checked against evidence for example an increase in interest rates encourage savings. While normative statements refer to what should be , for example firms should be encouraged to invest. (Wessels, 2006) Factors of Production Land refers to natural resources that are created by nature and not those earning assets created by man. Labour refers to the physical and mental ability of a human provided to a firm. It includes the part of human population that is willing to provide to economics production. Capital that is also called as ‘reproducible capital’ that is the sum of earning asset created by man, while the last Entrepreneur is the risk taker and organizes other three factors of production. (Mokyr, 1985) There are certain characteristics of different factors of production but two common characteristics in all includes that a ll factors of production are limited in amount and they have alternative uses as well. At any point in time one can increase the amount of land, capital and labour it has but it important to note is that it is finite and cannot increase beyond its fixed a capacity. More over these factors of production can be used to produce many different goods and services and hence are substitutable and interchangeable at many levels. This helps one to decide what, how and for whom to produce. (Goldberg, 2000) Characteristics of labour are important in determining wages and volume of production. Firstly labour is a human factor and the active factor. It has its own will to do anything, likes dislikes and so needs to work along with other factors in production. Also labour is different in efficiency, skills, also is mobile and perishable. Each labour has different efficiency and can be moved between jobs. Quality of labour can be improved by improving its productivity by training, educating workfo rce and by providing them better medical facilities. (Marshall, 2007) Land is the primary and passive factor of production as it is the basis from which production starts and it cannot do anything itself as it has be operated by labour. It could be used in multiple ways such as for agriculture; setting up factory but it

Gloria Jean's Coffees Australia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gloria Jean's Coffees Australia - Assignment Example Gloria Jean is being an innovation driven organization has managed to develop numerous coffee recipes over the years. However, their expertise in coffee has not prevented them from adding tea and chocolate drinks into the menu to better serve customers by offering a variety. Apart from beverages, Gloria Jean’s has also developed merchandise like the G 79 espresso machine. The latest in its production lines are Cake, which in two new flavours choc raspberry white, and choc mouse. The company also has new blends of tea like pomegranate, Super berry, and tropical green. This has enhanced the ability to come up with new beverage blends that have endeared the franchise to millions of people. Moreover, it has enabled the company to remain a leader in this highly competitive industry. Having sprouted in Sidney in the late 20th century, Gloria Jean’s has been so successful in its journey to explore new markets. The company achieved a global outlook in the year 2009 when it managed to acquire Gloria Jean’s franchise in the U.S. currently serving in 39 markets the quest to make the brand a worldwide success is still ongoing as shown in the company’s vision and mission. Its vision: â€Å"to be the most loved and respected coffee company worldwide† speaks volumes of the direction the company has taken (Saleh & Irvine). Its ultimate goal is achieving a global status which entails having outlets in every country in the world. Its plan to shift to a business model that is franchise –only steam rolled this February when it shut down 14 outlets in Australia. This model was adapted last December when the company was sold to Global Yellow Pages a Singaporean company (Cole, 2013). This move to fully franchise enabled the company to have the necessary financial influence to expand into China and other Asian markets where the huge population provides a potentially huge customer

Articles about Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Articles about Economy - Research Paper Example Given the inelastic nature of the supply curve, the impact of a negative demand shock had been rather hard for the market. The result of this oversupply was a depreciation in house price by 45% from what it had been in 2008. In Dubai alone, the fall in equilibrium demand price had been as much as 58%, owing to a sharp fall in the number of tourists. Falling demand for houses is also evident from depreciation in the amount of rents being paid on houses; statistics show this fall amounting to 10% in 2010 from what it had been in 2008. An even more pestering issue is that the nation had invested so much into high-end ventures, that there arises no question of turning back which is why the UAE housing market is preparing to introduce another 26,000 units by 2011 (Menon, â€Å"More sharp falls ahead for UAE house prices†). 3 The stock market of UAE, for example, is a market that follows a competitive structure. Similar to the traits of a monopolistically competitive market, the stocks are found to be somewhat different in their innate features, either due to the brand names that are associated with them or due to the different rates of return that they offer. However, while the former is an apparent factor, dependent upon the perception of the investor, the latter is a variable one. In fact, it is the returns that a stock offers which determine the popularity of the same; the moment a rumour hits the market about a possible downfall, the demand for such a stock falls simultaneously. Hence, competitive market forces are the reason why there are any absences of barriers preventing the economic units to act according to the market moves. For instance, the global financial meltdown resulted to a downward revision of the UAE stock indices as was the case for almost every other nation around the world. Such a development resulted to a reduction in the number of investors in the UAE

1-Pilot & Non-pilot Protection of Transmission Lines Essay

1-Pilot & Non-pilot Protection of Transmission Lines - Essay Example This is of course in addition to today’s independent systems. It is important to note that the emphasis in this paper is not on the pilot scheme to be used but rather on whether a pilot system would be necessary. This follows the realization that a typical pilot terminal would cost $150K more compared with a non-pilot terminal. The question in this case is why would someone spend so much on a pilot scheme rather than just take up a non-pilot system which is less costly? The answers to this question serve as the justifications for the pilot scheme. Taylor (1927) says that the pilot scheme come in with additional benefits such as improved resistive coverage, high speed reclosing, and improved sustainability compared with the non-pilot system. In addition, the pilot scheme comes with alternatives to protection including fall back strategies, extensions to Zone 1, and inverse time over current. The pilot system also provides extended considerations mainly used in the determination of the system’s redundancy usually dependent on a number of factors including security, reliability, and dependability. The pilot system is also preferred because of its free interactions with the regulatory issues (Taylor, 1927). The protection of a transmission line has been a unique concept in the sense that, the system’s zone limit will have to separate geographical locations. This is contrary to the concepts in other systems such as buses, capacitors, and transformers. The idea behind the transmission line protection system is the alignment of the system elements and the input devices in one location and provides room for the instantaneous configuration of tripping. With the pilot scheme, this is usually done with very little coordination problems (Kim, 1996). Following the alignment of the system elements and input sources, all terminals will be

Accused of witchcraft Essay Example for Free

Accused of witchcraft Essay Parris : Why not? Now there are no spirits attacking her, for none in this room is accused of witchcraft. So let her turn herself cold now, let her pretend she is attacked now, let her faint. (He turns to Mary Warren.) Faint!  Act 3, Page 85  This is when the court first has the idea of getting Mary to prove the other girls are frauds by getting her to pretend to faint. She will not because she is afraid of what the girls will do to her. Or cannot, for fear of the court  This is one of the highest points of tension in the whole play because everything and everyone is focused on Mary, relying on her in one way or another to either tell the truth or to lie. But there is so much pressure on Mary that she cant say anything. The pressure builds and builds until Mary cracks then Abigail launches a perfectly timed attack. Just when people are confused about whom to believe Abigail turns on Mary and makes them believe her.  The girls turning on Mary is a dramatically effective part in act three. This is because when the girls turn on Mary you feel sorry for her due to the fact she is torn between telling the truth to the court or joining the girls again to prevent them from accusing her.  Mary Warren, do you witch her? I say to you, do you send your spirit out? Danforth, Act 3, Page 87  When Danforth asks her this question Mary snaps and pushes herself away from Proctor.  Mary Warren, Act 3, page 88  This is when Marys delicate relationship with Proctor breaks down and she will no longer cover for him and put herself at risk from being accused by the rest of the girls.  Abigail : (Looking about the air, clasping her arms about her as though cold): I I know not. A wind, a cold wind, has come. (Her eyes fall on Mary Warren.)  Mary : (Terrified, pleading): Abby!  Mercy : (Shivering): Your Honour, I freeze! Proctor : Theyre pretending!  Hathorne : (Touching Abigails hand): She is cold Your Honour, touch her!  Mercy : (Through chattered teeth ): Mary, Do you send this shadow on me?  Act 3, Page 87  This is when the girls first start to turn on Mary, she is a very fragile person and when they start to turn on her she doesnt know what to do. She was used to pointing the finger of accusation not having it pointed at her and on her own she cant cope. So she betrays the truth and goes back to the safety of the girls and being the accuser not the accused. Mary finally breaks down and accuses Proctor of witchcraft. Fearful for her own life, Mary realizes that the only way to save herself is to accuse Proctor of coercing her into attempting to overthrow the court. In this case the accusation contains some truth: Proctor did force Mary Warren into testifying, yet in this case the purpose is to promote true justice rather than to dispute it.  Elizabeth lying to protect Proctor is a dramatically effective part in act three because there is a lot of tension when Elizabeth is brought into the court. Miller uses dramatic irony when Elizabeth doesnt know that Proctor has confessed to lechery and that they are testing her to see if Proctor was telling the truth. Elizabeth doesnt know that it is Abigail that is being tried and so she lies to protect her husband but in fact by lying she is in the eyes of the court proving that her husband is a liar. Miller uses the frustration of Proctor as his wife is lying but there is no way he can tell her that by trying to protect him she is actually getting him into more trouble Look at me, to your own knowledge, has John Proctor ever committed the crime of lechery! (In a crisis of indecision she cannot speak.) Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!  Danforth, Act 3, page 91  You can see by this, that Danforth doesnt give Elizabeth much choice and practically puts the words into her mouth. By saying is your husband a lecher he leaves her no choice but to say no. What kind of woman would call her husband a lecher in front of a court? (There is a knock. He calls to the door.) Hold! (To Abigail.) Turn your back. Turn your back. (To Proctor.) Do likewise. (Both turn their backs- Abigail with indignant slowness) Now let neither of you turn to face goody proctor. No one in this room is to speak one word, or raise a gesture aye or nay. (He turns towards the door, calls.) Enter!  Danforth, Act 3, Page 90  The Audience feel frustrated because all that Elizabeth has to do is tell the truth and Abigails ruthless revenge will be stopped and the truth will be brought to light but there is no way Elizabeth could know this so she does what she thinks is the right thing and tries to protect her husband. In this scene Miller uses dramatic irony very effectively. Danforth makes the trial look fair but in fact gives Elizabeth no choice  but to lie.  Danforth : Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher!  Elizabeth : (Faintly): No, sir.  Danforth : Remove her, Marshal.  Proctor : Elizabeth, tell the truth!  Danforth : She has spoken. Remove her!  Proctor : (crying out): Elizabeth, I have confessed it!  Act 3, Page 91  This point is the dramatic climax of the whole scene because it is the point where Elizabeth finally finds out what she has done, and she is distraught. Hale tries to reason with Danforth when he says, Excellency it is a natural lie to tell this shows that Hale is the voice of reason but for most of the time he is not listened to, like Proctor who spoken sense throughout both are shut out in their ways. To save her husband from accusations of witchcraft, Elizabeth must condemn him for lechery. Miller establishes that Elizabeth is an honest woman who never lies, yet at the moment in which her honesty is most critical she chooses the noble yet practical lie that she believes will defend her husband. As Hale notes, it is a natural lie for Elizabeth Proctor to tell, yet an incredibly ill timed one; Elizabeth Proctor chooses dishonesty at the precise moment that her integrity matters the most. Act 3 of The Crucible is so effective because Arthur Miller uses a wide variety of emotions for his characters and a good variety of action. One minute the scene can be rather quiet with just simple conversation and the next minute it can be very chaotic with characters hurling accusations and abuse at each other. The reason this play is so effective is because Miller uses moments of calm as well as moments of extreme action, if it was just action, action, action all the time the audience would become immune to it and the really important parts wouldnt stick in your mind as much. Act 3 is relevant to the play as a whole because it is the Act where a lot of important things happen and it is the most dramatic, with a lot of tension and anger between different characters. It is what the first two acts have been building up to and you could say it is the climax of the whole play.  When Arthur Miller wrote the play, The Crucible in 1953 the contemporary audience could relate to the play due to the media coverage that was occurring at the time. This era was concerned with the political movement of communism; the McCarthy trials. The contemporary audience saw Millers play as relevant because of the effects of mass hysteria- the destruction of the community in Salem. Miller felt that the play had relevance although he didnt write it for that.  The reason why the crucible is still so widely liked even though the witch trials are long gone is because it demonstrates the terrible effects of mass hysteria and what it can do to normally rational people.  The story reminds its readers of an ugly blemish on human history. It reminds us that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making right what is wrong.

Aspects of Thai Buddhist Culture

Aspects of Thai Buddhist Culture CHAPTER V Thai Culture At the outset of this study I had intended to have two sections in the final chapter, one section detailing the Buddhist roots of all things Thai and the other showing Hindu / Indic influence. This idea has been abandoned by the author due to the limited solely Buddhist influence. There are many aspects of Thai culture that have combined elements of other countries such as China, Laos etc but I have chosen to limit the comparisons to Buddhist / Hindu wherever possible. The study will instead focus on detailing the aspects of influence and state whether they have a combined influence or whether they have been influenced by only one of the subjects. The reader will by now appreciate the massive scope of Hinduism and as such it will prove very difficult to find aspects of Thai Buddhist culture that do not have at least some basis in Hinduism. The common origin of the Indian sub-continent and the antiquity of Hinduism make such a subjective study difficult. For this reason I undertook a survey of many Thai people, including but not limited to, my friends, my students, neighbours, monks, etc. I asked them to make a list of 20 things that they considered to be Thai or that which they thought might be perceived by foreign visitors as representative of their country and culture. The answers were varied (and, at times amusing due to language) and from the answers they gave I have composed a list of the results. (shown on next page). The list has been arranged alphabetically and I have limited the list to the most common answers. The list may have been influenced by regional representation as many of the people gave regional answers such as Isan, or the rocket festival. The answers were unprompted by the author and I feel that the list is accurate for the purpose of this study. Almsround by the Monks Arts and Crafts Boat Races / Royal Barge Procession Buddhism Elephants Buffaloes Isan / Isarn Monuments Mai Pen Rai ! Offerings / Merit Making Rain Dance Respect for Royalty Rocket Festival Royalty Temples / Shrines Thai Smile / Friendliness The Wai ( Thai Greeting ) Thai Boxing Thai Festivals Ceremonies Thai Dance / Thai Dress Thai Food / Fruit Sculpture Thai language Thai literature Thai Massage / Traditional Thai medicine Thai music / musical instruments Thai Silk Tuk Tuk ( 3 wheel vehicle) Sanuk ! Sukhothai Kingdom The discerning reader will note that Hinduism is absent from the list. This was a little surprising to the author as I had distributed approx two hundred surveys and had about 60% returned completed and not a single reply had Hinduism or Brahmanism as an answer. Buddhism was on every single list returned to me and that was not in the least surprising. I had not thought to make my own list prior to asking the Thai people their opinion and I think this was a mistake or rather an oversight on my part. I am unable to remember exactly what I conceived of as Thai-ness, but the Thai smile and the Wai greeting would definitely have been included in any list. Westerners who visit the Kingdom generally know in advance about the Kingdoms Buddhist temples and the friendliness of the people. The Thai language appears to be very difficult for the average foreigner / westerner to master and for that reason I have chosen to begin my analyses by looking at the Thai Language / Thai Script. There was obviously a Thai language long before there was a written Script. By far the most interesting thing about the Thai script is that it was invented by a Thai king ! Not many countries can make such a claim, but is there any basis to the claim which is widely accepted by the majority of the Thai people? The sources I consulted all agreed that the Thai script has its roots in India. In fact, many of the South East Asian scripts are very similar as they all have the same root, namely the Brahmi script of ancient India. At the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom the country of Siam was under the control of the Khmer Empire. It is very likely that the Khmer alphabet had an influence on the Thai alphabet. A look at the first vagga/ varga of Khmer Thai consonants will show the striking similarities. Khmer Palm Leaf Script Modern Khmer Modern Thai The other Scripts which Thai has borrowed from are the Mon, Burmese, as well as the Khun, Tham or Lanna scripts which were existent prior to the first known Thai writing. Tham/Lanna Khun Burmese Burma Northern Thai Scripts Modern Thai Script The Tai Tham script, also known as the Lanna script is used for three living languages: Northern Thai (that is, Kam Muang), Tai Là ¼ and Khà ¼n. In addition, the Lanna script is also used for Lao Tham (or old Lao) and other dialect variants in Buddhist palm leaves and notebooks. The script is also known as Tham or Yuan script. The oldest Thai inscription dates from 1283. The Thai script is a syllabic alphabet based on the Brahmi script which was adapted to write the Siamese / Thai language. Its invention is attributed to King Ramkhamhaeng, who reigned over Sukhothai from 1275 to 1317. The Ramkhamhaeng Stele This stone, now in the National Museum in Bangkok, was allegedly discovered in 1833 by King Mongkut, who was a monk at the time, in Wat Mahathat. It should be noted that the authenticity of the stone or at least portions of it has been brought into question.[[1]] Piriya Krairiksh, an academic at the Thai Khadi Research institute, notes that the steles treatment of vowels suggests that its creators had been influenced by European alphabet systems; thus, he concludes that the stele was fabricated by someone during the reign of Rama IV or shortly before. The matter is very controversial, since if the stone is in fact a fabrication, the entire history of the period will have to be re-written.[[2]] Scholars are still divided over the issue about the steles authenticity.[[3]] It remains an anomaly amongst contemporary writings, and in fact no other source refers to King Ramkhamhaeng by name. Some authors claim the inscription was a complete 19th-century fabrication, others claim that the first 17 lines are genuine, that the inscription was fabricated by King Lithai (a later Sukhothai king), and some scholars still believe very much in the inscriptions authenticity.[[4]] The inscription and its image of a Sukhothai utopia remains central to Thai nationalism, and the suggestion that it may have been faked in the 1800s caused Michael Wright, a British scholar, to be threatened with deportation under Thailands strict lese majeste laws .[[5]] Phra Lewis, a western monk who has lived in Thailand for the past 8 years, went to great lengths to explain the construction of the Thai language and demonstrated that while the spoken language has evolved over time, ie the sound of the consonants changing, their position in the surd/sonant grid has not altered accordingly. This was very helpful to my research work in this study as I had encountered some difficulty researching Thai words due to the many different spellings I encountered. There is in fact a Royally approved system of translation, but it is not always followed and there are numerous informal systems in wide use. For example, the Sanskrit word Dharma is the Pali word Dhamma but the Thais call it Tam, another example is the Thai word Bangsakun which is actually Pamsakula in Pali. Written Thai is very structured and follows simple rules with no ambiguity as to the pronunciation like there is in English. The Thai language is tonal and that is where most problems arise for the foreigner. The old style of pronunciation was no doubt altered when the capital moved from Sukhothai in the north, to Ayuddhya in the central region. The letter ? (K) became G, the ? (C) became J and the ? (J) became CH, and so on. The vowels were also altered slightly. Unless consonants are otherwise marked they carry an inherent vowel. In Indian languages this is normally an a but in Thai the rules are slightly different. The inherent vowel is an o but if the word has more than one syllable then the first inherent vowel is an a and the second inherent vowel is an o. The example below shows the word for road Thanon Before moving on to examine festivals and ceremonies I would like to look at a remarkable feature of the Thai language. For this information I am indebted to Phra Lewis who not only pointed it out but explained it to me as follows :- The above 44 consonants of the Thai alphabet have been shown with their modern phonetic sounds. Some letters change sound change depending on where they are in the syllable. They have been shown horizontally in vaggas dependant upon where the sound is made. The first vagga is guttural, made in the throat. The last line are not shown in their vaggas. The first vertical column should show the surd, the second column the surd aspirate, the third column shows the sonant and the forth shows the sonant aspirated. Column five is the nasal sound made. In the first vagga of the diagram we can see that the G and K sounds of modern Thai have switched positions and if one looks at the next vagga ie the palatal vagga, we can see the J has also moved. The monk has speculated that this happened when the Thais moved their capital to Ayuddhya. The letters M, L, H in the chart indicates the class of consonant ie middle , low and high. This should not be confused with the tones of the language. Looking down the first column we see all the letters are middle class, the next column are all high class and the remaining letters in the 5 vaggas are low class consonants. The consonants in the last, longer, line can also be placed in their vagga, ie Y would belong to the palatal vagga, H in the guttural etc. This class of consonant feature is unique to Thai but the grid is the format of the majority of Indian languages. The king did not invent the grid but he may well have been the instigator for the format of the letters, a man in his position could no doubt summon the best minds in the Kingdom. Phra Lewis speculates that the need for a new script was prompted by the wish to write the Pali Canon. As the old Thai / Lao alphabet had only 18 consonants this would not be possible as Pali has 33 consonants. It was therefore necessary to add new letters for the sounds that did not exist is Thai. This is where the uniqueness of the script can show the root of the word for the Thai script was designed with this in mind. The king started with the basic grid and filled it with the letters existent in Thai. There were some gaps in the grid where Pali had sounds that Thai had no letters for, the aspirated G or the pallatal NY for instance. The first step taken was to add letters to fill in the gaps. These letters were (English letters give OLD pronunciation The ingenious part was the addition of letters where Thai already had a letter for the existing Pali sound. The Thais already had a letter for the aspirated K (KH), but they added an additional letter ? (KH) to be used in Pali / Sanskrit words. The practice has continued up until very modern times with foreign loan words being spelt in Thai using the new letters. This allows a person reading Thai to tell if the word is of foreign origin. Most ingenious, some modern English words may be able to trace their Greek or Latin roots from the spelling but this is not the norm as it is with Thai. Those wishing to delete obsolete letters from the Thai alphabet do not have a true understanding of its well thought out and practical design. The additional letters means that Thai has 44 consonants whereas Pali only has 33. The Thai letters used to write Pali in Thailand today should be pronounced differently from spoken Thai but most Thai monks do not do this. After this had been explained I found it a simple matter of looking at a grid chart in order to translate Thai words into roman lettering such that I could research the words online. All of this information was obtained from the monks personal notes and, after checking, I have found it to be correct though I wish to point out I have no linguistic training. The controversy over the Ramkhamhaeng Stele remains unresolved but that is of no concern to the study. The one thing that can be said for the inventor'(s ?) of the Thai script is that he or they were very intelligent and methodical in its design. I personally favour a single person as committees tend to mess things up and this system, in its original form, was perfect. ( and Indian influenced ) Festivals and Ceremonies The foreign visitors perception of Thailand and the Thais is not gained from the language but from the visual aspects of Thai culture such as festivals and ceremonies. There are some public holidays which have no Hindu or Buddhist roots such as days commemorating past kings or celebrating the founding of the constitution. The study has omitted these and others which may have there roots in other foreign countries ie Chinese New Year. To begin with I have chosen to look at three celebrated days which are definitely Buddhist in origin and are known as Puja days. Wisakha Puja Day Wisakha Puja Day is a very important day in the Buddhist tradition, for it was on this day that Prince Siddhattha Gotama was born, 35 years later became the enlightened Buddha, and in another 45 years, passed away into total Nibbana (Parinibbana). In each case, these events took place on the full-moon day in the Wisakha month (usually in May). Wisakha Puja Day is a great Buddhist holiday. It falls on the 15th day of the waxing moon in the 6th lunar month, i.e. full moon day. In Thailand, Wisakha Puja is celebrated throughout the country. On Wisakha Puja Day people put up religious flags outside their houses. They take part in ceremonies at temples and they make merit. They bring flowers, candles, and incense to pay respect to the Triple Gem, i.e. Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha (the community of followers). In the evening, people take part in candle-lit processions and walk clockwise around the main chapel of the temple three times. In the procession, each person carries flowers, three incense sticks and a lighted candle. The concept of walking clockwise around shrines etc is a Hindu / Indic practice clockwise for auspicious occasions and anti-clockwise for inauspicious ones such as death. Magha Puja Day Magha Puja Day is one of the most important Buddhist celebrations in the Thai Calander. This day, which falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month (either the last week of February or early of March). marks the four great events that took place during Lord Buddhas lifetime, namely; 1250 Buddhist monks from different places came to pay homage to Lord Buddha at Valuwan Vihara in Rajgaha, the capital of Magaha State, each of his own initiative and without prior notification or appointment. all of them were the enlightened monks (Arahants) all of them had been ordained by the Buddha himself (Ehi Bhikkhu) They assembled on the full moon day of the third lunar month. On the evening of that day, Lord Buddha gave the assembly a discourse Ovadha Patimokha laying down the principles of His Teachings summarised into three acts, i.e. to do good, to abstain from bad action and to purify the mind. It was unclear as to when the Magha Puja Ceremony took place. However, in a guide book of ceremonies for the twelve months written by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), it is said that, In the past, the Magha Puja was never performed, the ceremony has just been practised during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV)? Realizing the significance of this day, King Rama IV ordered the royal Magha Puja Ceremony to be performed in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in 1851 and this has continued up to the present day. In later years the ceremony was widely accepted and performed throughout the Kingdom. The day has been declared as a public holiday. Thai people go to the temple to make merit and perform religious activities in the morning and return to take part in the candlelit procession or Wien Tien in the evening. At this auspicious time, His Majesty the King will preside over the religious rites to mark the occasion at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and will later lead hundreds of people in a candlelit procession held within the temples compound. Asaha Puja Day Asaha Puja means the ceremony in the eighth lunar month. On the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, the Lord Buddha gave his first sermon and one of his followers became the first Buddhist monk. The ordained followers of the Buddha are collectively called the Sangha, (Asaha Puja is sometimes referred to as Sangha Day.) During his first sermon, the Buddha talked about The Middle Way, to be successful in Spiritual life, we should avoid the two extremes: Trying too hard, such as not eating or not sleeping enough and Not trying hard enough, such as eating and sleeping too much. The Buddha also spoke about the Noble Eightfold Path. This path instructs the faithful to to live in a way that does not harm ourselves or others, to help ourselves and others and to purify the mind. He advised the people to Do good: Avoid evil: Purify the mind. He gave eight guidelines to help people to live in this way, and they are commonly spoken of as the Noble Eightfold Path. He advised people to speak, act and earn their living in moral ways. He further advised them to practise meditation in order to purify their minds and gain deep wisdom (Panya in Thai). These three days are very low key as far as celebrations are concerned and a foreign visitor may not even be aware of them unless they choose to visit a temple or Wat. The next Buddhist ceremony or festival to examine is the Robe Giving ceremony of Kathina. Kathin Ceremony At the end of the three-month Rains Retreat (July to September / October), monks throughout the country are allowed to travel from place to place and are eligible to receive new robes in an annual presentation ceremony called Thot Kathin. Besides new robes, Buddhist literature, kitchen equipment, financial contributions and building materials e.g. nails, hand-saws and hammers etc. are also presented to monks on this occasion. In fact, the word Thot means making an offering to the monk and the word Kathin literary means the embroidery frame used in sewing the robes which, in those days, were collected from rags on dead bodies (pamsakula, rag robes) or rags found in the forset since clothes were not available in plenty as nowadays. Buddhist people regard the Thot Kathin ceremony as the most significant form of merit-making next to the ordination of their close kin. To sponsor a Kathin ceremony involves a lot of time, manpower and expense. Above all, an advance booking must be made with the Wat if a person wishes to be the sole sponsor of the Kathin ceremony but this may not be possible in all Wats, especially temples which are held in high esteem by many people. Nontheless, those who fail to be the sole sponsor of Kathin can also take part in the ceremony which, in this type, is known as Kathin Samakki or the United Kathin. Sometimes a Kathin group will travel for several hundred kilometers by bus, train, boat or even by plane to present the Kathin robes and other necessities to monks in remote temples or in other countries where Buddhist temples are established. People thus hold this merit-making festival not only for earning merit for themselves but also for enjoying a holiday free from the daily hectic life full of stress and strain in the city. During the Thot Kathin period, it is very common to see Kathin processions traveling to and fro throughout the country. In fact, anybody can take part in the event through the simple method of enclosing a small amount of money in the white envelope given by friends or relatives. Songkran Festival Songkran is a Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the othes, though most Thais are totally unaware of this fact. Songkran is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of Easter. Due to the precession of the equinox the introduction of spring, ie when the sun crosses the equator, now occurs on or around the 21st of March. For the Thai people it is simply their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. Songkran begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, (occasionally, in certain years, on the 16th April). The Songkran Festival is the most striking, for it is widely observed not only in this country but also in Burma, Cambodia and the Lao Republic. On the eve of Songkran Day, i.e. on the 12th April, people clean their house and burn all of the refuse in the belief that anything bad belonging to the old year will be unlucky if left and carried on to the coming New Year. Early on the first day of Songkran, the 13th April, the people both young and old in their new clothing go to their local Wat or monastery to offer food to the monks. A long table is erected in the compound of the Wat where monks alms bowls stand in a row on either side of the table. The people donate many types of food and dainties by placing these in the monks alms bowls. In the afternoon of the same day there is a bathing ceremony of the Buddha images and in some wats this includes the abbot or statues of other famous monks of high regard. It is after this that the well-known water throwing begins. The bathing of images is done as ritualistic ceremony, which will be dealt with separately. Thai people will go on this day, and the succeeding days, to pay their respects and ask blessings from their elders and respected seniors. They will pour scented water into the palms of the old people and often present them with small gifts. In previous times it was an actual bathing where the young people helped the old people to take a bath and to change their old clothing and put on the new clothes which the young people presented them as an act of respect to the aged on the occasion of the New Year. An important thing to be done during the Songkran Festival is a religious service called Bangsakun (Pamsakula in Pali) performed in sacred memory to the dead. When a person died and was cremated, the remains were often placed in a chedi in the Wat. In later times a portion of the bones was sometimes kept in the house in a receptacle. On Songkran Day a religious service in memory to the dead may be officiated by monks at the place where the ashes and the bones have been deposited, or as in some localities the people bring their dead bones to a village wat in company with others where a joint memorial service is performed. In some parts of the country the guardian spirits of the village and town receive also their annual offerings on Songkran Days. Obviously there are reminiscences or traces of ancestor and animistic worship in by-gone days. The monks are presented with cloth, symbolizing the death shroud, which in olden times was cut up and used as rag cloth to make the robes of the m onks. Loy Krathong The most colourful festival during the year is Loy Krathong wich is held on the full moon of the 12th lunar month, usually in November. This is a festival to pay respects to the Mother of Water and to ask forgiveness for polluting the water in the past year. Loy means to float and a krathong is a kind of bowl. A typical krathong is made using banana leaves and the base is from the stem of a banana plant. Incense sticks, candles and flowers are placed inside the krathong along with small denomination coins. (perhaps this acts as an encouragement to the people who have to remove them from the klongs!) On the afternoon of the festival a parade normally takes place through the city or town. Krathongs of all shapes and sizes are placed on floats and carried by locals and their children. During the evening, thousands of people go down to their local river or klong (canal) to float their krathongs. They light the candles and incense sticks, say a prayer and then float it on the water. It is a wonderful sight with flickering lights bobbing up and down on the river, much more interesting to witness than to read about.There is a Loy Krathong song, (in Thai language) which is often played throughout the day. Below is a translation of this popular song: November full moon shines, Loy Krathong, Loy Krathong and the waters high in the river and local klong Loy Krathong is here and everybodys full of cheer Were together at the klong, Each one with his krathong As we push away we pray, We can see a better day The Loy Krathong festival dates back to the period of the Sukhothai Kingdom, 700 years ago. It marked the end of the rainy season and the main rice harvest. It is based on a Hindu tradition of thanking the water god(s). The farmers of Sukhothai held a festival of floating candles. One year, a beautiful woman called Noppamas, who was the chief royal consort, made special lanterns for the festival. She made them from banana leaves and shaped them like lotus flowers. The king was suitably impressed with what he saw, and announced that krathongs would be floated every year from then on. Today, in memory of her and her innovation, there is a beauty contest called The Noppamas Queen Contest. Laying the Foundation Stone Thai people like to consult the astrology charts (and / or Buddhist monks though this is spoken of as a low art in the Brahmajala Sutta) in order to find an auspicious time to do something important. This can be anything from the day of a marriage or when to make a business deal. The date and time for starting to build a house is also important. A special ceremony is arranged for erecting the first pillar or foundation stone. Previously I had the privilege to attend the ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone for the Paknam Tower. This is going to be a 139 meter high tower with amazing views over Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. Thai people are mainly Buddhists, but ceremonies like this one are conducted by Brahmin priests dressed in white. During the ceremony a priest asks forgiveness from the guardian spirit of the land. He also asks the spirits permission to build on the land. This was followed by offerings for the guardian spirits. Although this ceremony is mainly Brahmin, nine monks were also invited to do some chanting. Local dignitaries offered food to the monks in order to make merit during this event. I was reminded of the fact that many Thais see no conflict of interest by partaking in both Brahmin and Buddhist ceremonies, even simultaneously. The Thais themselves would rather make auspicious offerings twice than not make them at all. According to Thai astrology, there are three days of the week when you should never start construction of a building. These are Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday. For the consecration ceremony of the Paknam Tower the date chosen was Friday 18th May 2007. The time for the actual laying of the foundation stone was set for exactly 2:19 p.m. The number nine is considered auspicious by Thai people. Everything is done in multiples of threes or nines wherever possible. There were nine monks and nine different kinds of food offerings for them. As well as the marble foundation stone, nine symbolic bricks were used during the ceremony. Three made of gold, three made of silver and three made of an alloy. There were also nine symbolic pegs made of nine different types of wood. In addition to these items, there were jasmine garlands, flowers with popped rice and one baht coins which were all utilized during the ceremony. After the conch shell had been blown and the small drums sounded, it was time for the foundation stone laying ceremony to begin. Khun Anuwat Methiwibunwut, the Governor of Samut Prakan Province hammered one of the pegs into the sand. Each of the dignitaries then took turns hammering the remaining pegs into place, followed by pouring of the cement. The nine bricks had been laid in a star pattern where the pegs had been driven into the sand. Additional cement was then poured on top. At this point all of the senior dignitaries jointly placed the marble foundation stone onto the bricks. Following this, they then took turns to sprinkle flowers and coins onto the marble slab. Once the main ceremony was over, the local people, who had been patiently waiting and watching everything, were allowed to come forward to do the same with their own flowers and coins. There were two identical copies of this foundation stone. I presume that one will be covered in cement while the second one will be placed in a prominent place once the building has been completed. The photo below shows the dignitaries placing the marble foundation stone onto the bricks Ploughing Ceremony The Ploughing Ceremony, which is observed every year, is an age old tradition, and according to the Thais it dates back to the Sukhothai Period. It was observed in the Ayuttaya Period and passed on to the Rattanakosin Period. The Ploughing Ceremony is held at Sanam Luang in Bangkok during May and it signals the start of the planting season in this country where the majority of the population are farmers. The ceremony is aimed at making predictions about the years crops. In the reign of King Rama IV, the Ploughing Ceremony was held in the ancient capital of Ayuttaya as well as in Phetchaburi. Later, it was held on a field, called Som Poy, in the outskirts of Bangkok, it was at this time Buddhist elements were added to the previously Brahmin-dominated proceedings, these took place at the temple of the Emerald Buddha on the eve of the ceremony. This Buddhist part of the ceremony involved the processing of Khantarat Buddha images of the past reigns, along with citations blessing such grains as rice, glutinous rice and sorghum, sesame seeds, taro, potato, gourd seeds, melons and sweet basil. A ceremonial pavilion was built at Sanam Luang for the occasion, which was participated by the Lord of the Ploughing Ceremony (Phra Raek Na) assisted by four Celestial Maidens (Thepi) carrying gold and silver baskets full of grains. Before the start of the ceremony, the Lord of the Ploughing Ceremony and the four maidens were anointed on the foreheads and in the palms, and given a conch and bel leaves. Selected from among high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Phya Raek Na wore a ceremonial ring with nine different gemstones which the King had given him. The ceremony in the reign of King Rama IV was performed in grand style, with a processing of 500 people led by the Lord of the Ploughing Ceremony in resplendent attire and carrying his ceremonial sword. Before the start of the ceremony, the Lord of Ploughing Ceremony was offered three pieces of loincloth from which he chose one. The cloths were of different lengths four, five and six kheub (one kheub is about six inches) and the length of the