Ruff ride - the tail of one monk and his 12 dogs on a boat
- Published
A Thai Buddhist monk and his pack of 12 dogs have become known for their daily journey along a river in Thailand's Pathum Thani province.
Every morning, the monk sets off on boat down the Chao Phraya River with more than a dozen dogs that were once abandoned at the temple.
He's become so famous that many people 'paws' on the riverbank to spot him and his canine companions sailing by.
And the journey has gone viral on social media for the joy it brings.
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Why are a monk and his dogs travelling along the river?
The dogs join the monk on his morning alms
The journey is part of the monk seeking his alms.
Alms are gifts of food and daily necessities that people give to Buddhist monks every morning.
Monks live very simple lives focused on meditation and helping others. They promise not to buy or cook their own food.
By collecting food and necessities they teach people to be generous and kind, and they believe it brings good luck and happiness, which they call "making merit".
Why does the monk have 12 dogs?
The temple dogs follow the monk everywhere
The dogs have all been rescued by the monk.
He said: "It started because people abandoned dogs here, originally there was only one.
"We just kept taking care of them. Now they follow me everywhere because we normally sleep in the same room.
"When I get up in the morning to go on the alms round, they bark and follow along. So they've been following me ever since."
