Relic of the Buddha loaned by China gets a warm welcome in Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — More than 2,000 people have taken part in a procession to escort a relic of the Buddha, lent by China, to a shrine in the Thai capital Bangkok to honor the birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to celebrate half a century of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The tooth relic, considered sacred by Buddhists, was flown in earlier Wednesday from the Lingguang Temple in Beijing, which normally houses it. Loans of the tooth as a show of friendship have been an effective form of soft diplomacy by China, even though competing claims from various countries to possession of the Buddha’s tooth raise questions about its provenance. It will be on display until mid-February next year in a pavilion outside Bangkok’s famous Grand Palace.