Saplings Instead of Candles: 90 Thai Temples Turned a Festival Procession Into Tree Planting

Trees for Dharma is an organisation of Thai monks promoting reforestation, founded by Venerable Paisal Visalo, abbot of Wat Pasukato in Chaiyaphum province. On 10 July 2025 about 20 monks at Wat Pasukato each carried a sapling three times around the main hall, with more than 100 avocado, guava and ficus saplings prepared for villagers to take home and plant. The Straits Times reported that monks at more than 90 temples across Thailand, including in Bangkok, made the same swap in 2025. Wat Pasukato itself has reforested about 1.5 square kilometres of land since the late 20th century.