This article describes cultural tradition. It is not Buddhist doctrine, and nothing here is a prediction.
In short: making merit (tham bun) means doing good deeds, most often giving food to monks or supporting a temple, but also keeping precepts and meditating. In Southeast Asia it is part of everyday life, especially on birthdays and holy days.
Ask a friend from Southeast Asia what they did on their birthday and they may say "tham bun": they made merit. Making merit means doing good deeds, most often giving to monks or a temple, and it is one of the most visible parts of daily life in Thailand.
The many customs around it are a cultural tradition. The idea underneath them is older and simple: the early Buddhist texts name three grounds for making merit, giving, ethical conduct and meditation (AN 8.36). Everything below is one of those three.
1. Giving alms at dawn (tak bat)
Every morning, monks walk barefoot through neighborhoods and markets with their bowls. People wait by the road with cooked rice, curries or packaged food. The giver places food in the bowl, the monk may chant a short blessing, and nobody says thank you, because both sides are giving something.
- Stand or kneel a little lower than the monk if you can, and remove your shoes.
- Give food, not money; cooked rice is the classic offering.
- Do not touch the monk. Women in particular should not touch or hand items directly to a monk.
- Stay quiet; it is a moment of practice, not a photo opportunity.
Read the full guide
2. Offerings at the temple
At a temple people light a candle and three sticks of incense, offer flowers or a lotus bud, press a small square of gold leaf onto a Buddha image, and drop a donation in the box. The candle is light, the incense is the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, and the flowers, fresh today and wilted tomorrow, are a reminder of change. See how to visit a Buddhist temple.
3. Birthday and special-day merit
Many Thais begin a birthday, a new job or a new home by making merit. Some offer to their birthday Buddha, the image of the weekday they were born, and wear their birthday color. On Uposatha days (wan phra), the Buddhist holy days, more people visit the temple and keep extra precepts.
4. Keeping precepts and meditating
Merit is not only giving things. Keeping the Five Precepts for a day, or the eight precepts on a holy day, and sitting in meditation are just as much merit. They cost nothing and can be done anywhere.
5. Sharing the merit
After making merit, people often pour water slowly from a small vessel while monks chant, dedicating the good of the act to parents, to those who have died, or to all beings. It turns a personal good deed into a wish for others.
A note on releasing birds and fish
You may see caged birds or fish sold near temples to be released for merit. Many monks in Southeast Asia and animal welfare groups now discourage it, since the animals are often caught for the purpose and many die. Giving food or time is a kinder way to make merit.
Merit is also shared with those who have died; see Buddhist prayer for the dead. On the full moon of November, many people also make merit for Loy Krathong.
Why giving matters: the five benefits of giving.
Celebrating a birthday? See a Buddhist birthday blessing.
Try it, wherever you live
You do not need a temple. Give something today without being asked, keep one precept with care, or sit for three minutes. That is tham bun. Start with a 3-minute practice.
Questions people ask
What does tham bun mean?
Tham bun means 'making merit': doing good deeds, such as giving to monks, supporting a temple or keeping the precepts, that many Buddhists in Southeast Asia believe create good results now and later.
How do you give alms to monks in Thailand?
Early in the morning, monks walk barefoot past homes and markets. Givers wait respectfully, often removing shoes, place cooked rice or packaged food in the bowl without touching the monk, and may receive a short blessing. Women do not touch monks.
Why do Thais make merit on their birthday?
Many Thais start a birthday by giving food to monks or visiting a temple, so the new year of life begins with a good deed. Some also offer to the Buddha image of the day they were born.
Is making merit a Buddhist teaching?
The idea is. The early texts name three grounds for making merit: giving, ethical conduct and meditation (AN 8.36). The many Southeast Asian customs around it, such as birthday merit or releasing birds, are cultural traditions.