March 29, 1999
Web posted at: 11:53 p.m. EST (0453 GMT)

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- In Thailand, the concern over the potential hazards of the Y2K bug is not confined to business or government quarters.

Monks enrolled at Maha Mongkut Buddhist University in Bangkok are preparing for the millennium bug. Such skills are critical "to help education and Buddhist business," their teacher says.

The irony is, to the members of the ancient clergy, January 1, 2000, won't mean a great deal. According to the Buddhist calendar, that date fell over 500 years ago.

It's certain not to be just another day for the Thai government, which is racing to make sure 30 "supercritical" areas are Y2K-compliant by mid-1999.

RELATED VIDEO
CNN's John Raedler takes a look at Y2K preparations from Bangkok
Windows Media	28K	80K

"I am pretty certain of the compliance by the end of June for Thai Airways," said Thaweesak Koanantakool, director of the government's Y2K center.

He said that hospitals, utilities and banks should also meet that deadline under the government's $500 million program. But Thailand's lingering economic crisis has made the challenge more difficult for the private sector.

"The private sectors have to struggle for daily survival, so some of them may put the Y2K problem behind their immediate problems," he said.

Not so for the monks at Maha Mongkut Buddhist University. After installing a software program, their computers have been declared Y2K compliant.