These Yellow Signs (with Christian Slogans) are Eyesores

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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If you've done some touring in Northern Thailand, you've probably seen many of these large yellow signs posted in the trees. (see photos below). These signs are eyesores along most of the major and minor roads (including dirt roads) in all northern Provinces. These signs contain fundamentalist Christian slogans.

Does anyone else think these signs are inappropriate?

What kind of religious zealots would go through such effort to post thousands of these? Some of them are huge and high in the trees. Though Christians are less than 1% of the population in Thailand, missionaries and other evangelical Christians are so pushy in this country.

These signs aren't only in the hills where many of the tribes have already been converted to Christianity. I've seen these signs next to Buddhist Temples and Thai public schools. One of these signs was below was posted in front of Wat Jetyod in Chiangrai and another in the narrow access road to Khao Kho temple in Petchabun province. I'm surprised that Buddhists tolerate these things posted in their neighbourhoods.

Since most of these signs are posted alongside public roads, high in the trees on private property, I doubt they have permission to hang them. Some of them are so high up that they would need a very long ladder or a trained monkey to post them lol.

I don't know what these missionaries expect to accomplish, as certainly nobody is going to convert because they read some annoying signs along the road. I think they are posting these signs as a warning or are they are taunting "heathen" Buddhists and nonbelievers.

Perhaps this is all just foolish fundamentalist drivel not to be taken seriously, what do you think?

Has anyone else noticed these things?

I’ve tried many times, but I can’t add captions above or below the photos, so I’ll just say here that these signs are from many northern provinces including Chiangmai, Maehongsong, Chiangrai, Phayao, Petchabun, and Lamphang. One of the photos was taken in front of the Morchit BTS and another in Pattaya. Notice the two English signs as well. Here are some translations of the Thai script, in no particular order

"Jesus’ Blood Washes Away Sin"
"Sinners Watch Your ****"
"Fear the Lord"
"Jesus is the way of life"
Something about sinners or sinning...

265147=1073-05a_Mekong-river_Chiangrai.1.jpg

265147=1080-02b_Pai_Maehongson-Sinners%20watch%20your%20arse.jpg

265147=1079-04a_Wat_Jetyod_Chiangrai.jpg

265147=1078-04b_Khao_Kho_Petchabun.jpg

265147=1077-03a_Chiangmai_Fear%20the%20Lord.jpg

265147=1076-08a-Bangkok.jpg

265147=1075-01b_Doi_Intanon.jpg

265147=1074-08b_Pattaya-Jesus%20is%20(the%20way%20of)%20Life.jpg

265147=1068-03b_Loh_Kroh_Rd_Chiangmai.jpg

265147=1069-05b_Petchabun2.jpg


265147=1071-06_NearPuchifaaChiangrai.jpg

265147=1072-02aChiangmai2.jpg

265147=1081-07_Near1096Ban-maesamai.jpg
 

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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Hoghead;265148 wrote: Not as annoying as the Jesus sound trucks blaring through small villages
Right, I've heard about those trucks. Nothing more annoying than pushy religious people trying to push their religious beliefs on others.

This is an evangelical, Americanised style of religion which is completely out of place in Thailand.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Wow, for once I'm actually glad to be illiterate here- sometimes ignorance IS bliss! ;-)

Happy Trails!

Tony

ps.

265175=1083-Janet-Grove-Jehovah-Witness-Sign-749333.jpg


265175=1084-no_more_jehovahs_witnesses_sticker-p217191928668056664qjcl_400.jpg
 

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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TonyBKK;265175 wrote: Wow, for once I'm actually glad to be illiterate here- sometimes ignorance IS bliss! ;-)

Happy Trails!

Tony

Haha...that's very funny...

Actually missionaries, Thai and farang (usually American if they're white or Korean if they're Asian) are quite active in Thailand. They come to my university often and offer phony "English camps" and "Leadership camps", which are really just christian proselytising camps. I have to warn my students about this every term...
 
Oct 17, 2006
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The other day in NAN I was actually approached by a Thai Muslin evangelist Preacher who tried to get me interested in converting to Islam we discussed the Bible old and new testament and koran for a while over coffee but he soon realised that i am a hopeless case ......certainly different to being hassled by Christian fundimentalists , jehovahs twitnesses and Mormons (Morons).....As a scion of a Jewish family ,educated in a Christian country ,and married to a Bhuddist and a confirmed satanic atheist i love debating religion with people they are so credulous .
 

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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monsterman;265185 wrote: The other day in NAN I was actually approached by a Thai Muslin evangelist Preacher who tried to get me interested in converting to Islam we discussed the Bible old and new testament and koran for a while over coffee but he soon realised that i am a hopeless case ......certainly different to being hassled by Christian fundimentalists , jehovahs twitnesses and Mormons (Morons).....As a scion of a Jewish family ,educated in a Christian country ,and married to a Bhuddist and a confirmed satanic atheist i love debating religion with people they are so credulous .
I've never come across any Muslim preachers in Thailand.

But I've met many foreign missionaries and Thai missionaries (usually Christian converts) who consider brainwashing other Thais and converting them to Christianity to be their live's sole purpose. This, of course stems from the ludicrous belief that all Thai Buddhists will go to hell if they don't convert to Christianity. This belief alone creates fundamentalist nutters.

Whatever you think about these people, they shouldn't be posting these ugly yellow signs along so many of the great touring roads..
 

KenYam

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Nov 2, 2007
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Enough already Boring - How does this relate to biking in Thailand ?

I have seen the signs, my wife told me the meaning, we will never stop these people, just enjoy yourself and live.

Cheers Ken F
 

Pgt066

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Jan 31, 2005
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KenYam;265224 wrote: Enough already Boring - How does this relate to biking in Thailand ?

I have seen the signs, my wife told me the meaning, we will never stop these people, just enjoy yourself and live.

Cheers Ken F
Exactly! Focus on what matters, and what you can actually change.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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www.daveearly.com
I agree with Ken. I can't believe this issue is so annoying to you that you travel around snapping photos of the signs. Missionaries have been around for all of history. You are not going to stop them. If you must, concern yourself with something more constructive that you can do something about.
 

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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SilverhawkUSA;265228 wrote: I agree with Ken. I can't believe this issue is so annoying to you that you travel around snapping photos of the signs. Missionaries have been around for all of history. You are not going to stop them. If you must, concern yourself with something more constructive that you can do something about.

This topic does relate to biking in Thailand, as many of these signs interfere with a lot of great views.

We can do something about it, like paying some locals to take them down...
 

Garet

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Nov 25, 2010
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KenYam;265224 wrote: Enough already Boring - How does this relate to biking in Thailand ?

I have seen the signs, my wife told me the meaning, we will never stop these people, just enjoy yourself and live.

Cheers Ken F

If it's boring to you, you don't have to read; there are thousands of other threads you can read.

Some people are interested to know about this, as they had no idea about the meaning of these signs.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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www.daveearly.com
In virtually every one of your photos there are a multitude of ugly signs. Obviously you are only concerned with the missionaries, who I admit I don't really care for either. If it bothered the locals as much as it does you, don't you think they would take them down? Don't forget you are a visitor here in this country and some things are just better left alone. If you want to help, I think there are better things to do.

As for you telling us what we can go read.........
If it's boring to you, you don't have to read; there are thousands of other threads you can read.
.....we don't need that advice either. Most of us have contributed trip reports (yes, we even know how to insert photos with captions) of a lot more interest than your endless list of questions which you have submitted, so chill out. :twisted:
 
Apr 20, 2009
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In spite of how some others feel, I found this thread interesting and I appreciate you posting it. Plus I learned something I didn't know, (บาป = sin). Thanks.
 
Jan 12, 2003
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Thanks, Silverhawk - always a sensible and carefully considered opinion to add to a debate. :)

Thread closed by Admin....
Request by Garet to re-open...

Garet, it does not, as you point out, contain inappropriate language. However, we're never comfortable about publishing public criticisms of any minority groups, be they religious, ethnic or gender based. This is not the appropriate venue, given that our primary goals revolve around promotion of motorcycle tourism in Thailand and other S.E. Asian destinations...

As of last night, you'd expressed your opinions, and the responses provided some balance to the discussion. Before the comments escalate upward and outward from "annoyed" etc, it seems like a good time to bring some closure to this - especially as its not really relevant to the common good or to our shared goals.

Cheers

Ben Kemp
 

KZ

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Aug 20, 2003
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The thread is open again!
But it's all been said.
Since I don't have anything to add, this will hopefully be the last post to this reopened thread.
Unless Garet wants to go on fighting windmills, of course.
 

DavidFL

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Jan 16, 2003
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G’day Garet one & all – I’m back from a few more weeks in Laos.

Sorry but this thread will stay closed.

Garet, there are some of us who would be much more interested in how your 9 day ride actually was: the roads / people / accommodation / restaurants / “all the other scenery.”
Any chance of a brief report on that?
Plus some feedback to the questions answered to help you out
1. Did you get your bike tweaked & the ECU replaced?
2. Did you get your Givi Topbox fitted in Cnx or Bkk?
3. Did you get your seat modified – how did it work out?