Various vintage shops are located near the intersection of Phra Athit Road and Phra Sumen Road, in Bangkok's Banglamphu district, near the Chao Phraya River.

WSJ: A Newer Nostalgia

"Technology is advancing very quickly and we can't keep up, " said Phra Kasem Sanyato, secretary of the Buddhism Protection Center of Thailand, a watchdog for religious affairs.

WSJ: In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock Beat

His superiors gave him a two-week suspension, and Phra (Phra is a religious title) Klairung is back collecting food offerings and other alms from the local community each morning.

WSJ: In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock Beat

Phra Klairung Rujidhammo was recently catapulted to national fame when he was filmed performing suggestive dance moves, known here as coyote dancing after the film "Coyote Ugly" set in a New York dance-bar.

WSJ: In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock Beat

Phra Klairung, a chunky temple secretary in his mid-forties, quickly apologized after the clip went viral, explaining that he was trying to cheer people up after flooding hit the area around his temple in northern Bangkok.

WSJ: In Thailand Today, Teen Monks Express the Spirit to a Rock Beat