Thai Plum Village

Plum Village Thailand was founded in 2008. In 2013, it was moved to a stunning new campus on the edge of Khao Yai National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site about 240 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The monastery has been newly built along ecological lines by award-winning architects from Bangkok. Visitors will discover beautiful courtyards and buildings adapted to the natural environment. They will also see Bodhi trees planted by Thich Nhat Hanh himself. In 2023 a ground-breaking ceremony was held for a new meditation hall.

Up to 200 monks and nuns live and practice at Plum Village Thailand. It is the community’s largest hub in Asia and works with the Asian Institute for Applied Buddhism in Hong Kong to organize retreats in other countries such as Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan. Plum Village Thailand also hosts retreats for Vietnamese people in Thailand. Activities at Plum Village Thailand are conducted across three languages–Vietnamese,, English, and Thai–in order to welcome and accommodate practitioners from around the world.

The monastery welcomes guests for retreat stays of a week or more throughout the year. A retreat at Plum Village Thailand is an opportunity to enjoy simple and peaceful living. It is an opportunity to learn how to cultivate the energy of mindfulness. It is an opportunity to have more freedom, peace, and happiness in our daily life. A retreat at Plum Village Thailand is also a chance to nurture our inner growth as we take time to look deeply and transform both our individual difficulties and the difficulties within our society. During these retreats, practitioners learn how to weave mindfulness into all their daily activities and live each moment of life more deeply. Meditation is practiced throughout the day – while eating, walking, working mindfully, sitting, or simply enjoying a cup of tea together. These retreats are similar to those in other Plum Village monasteries around the world except that the tropical climate favors outdoor sitting meditation and a fresh early morning walking meditation at 5.30am. Plum Village Thailand also offers retreats throughout the year for specific members of our community such as teens and young adults, business people, healthcare workers, and families. The monastery also offers a three months-long Rains Retreat for monastic and lay friends.

Additionally, Plum Village Thailand offers one-day programs, called “Day of Mindfulness,” during which monks, nuns, and lay practitioners come together as a community. Activities during these one-day programs include listening to Dharma Talks, sitting meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, mindful smiling, and mindful breathing together. The day unfolds naturally, with as little guidance as possible so everything can flow relaxingly. A Day of Mindfulness takes place every Sunday during general retreat weeks. These are also live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The community also offers Days of Mindfulness in downtown Bangkok.