The Wat Tha Sung Lineage

The center takes its name and practice lineage from Wat Tha Sung (formally Wat Chantharam), a temple in Uthai Thani Province that became nationally renowned under its late abbot, Phra Ramali (1916–1992), posthumously elevated to the ecclesiastical title Phra Ratch Phrommayan. Among his devotees he is affectionately called Luang Phor Ruesi Ling Dam—"the Black Monkey Hermit." His teachings emphasized that meditation should be accessible to ordinary people in daily life, blending Theravada concentration practice with visualization techniques and a famously frank, sometimes humorous teaching style.↗

After the master's passing, Wat Tha Sung expanded its outreach through a network of branch meditation centers across Thailand. The Korat center was established in early 2008 by dedicated lay disciples who wanted to make the same instruction available to people in Nakhon Ratchasima without the long journey north to Uthai Thani. Over the years it has grown into a steady community gathering point, now more than sixteen years in continuous operation.↗↗

What Happens Here

The heart of activity is the weekend retreat, typically running Friday evening through Sunday midday. Sessions begin with evening chanting and precepts, followed by guided Monom Yit meditation. Practitioners focus on visualization—most commonly a bright crystal or Buddha image—to still the mind and then direct its heightened clarity toward insight practices associated with the Wat Tha Sung method, including what the tradition calls "traveling with the mind" to visit sacred realms and the Buddha's presence, and the deeper analytical knowledges (ñana 8) of the Vipassana sequence.↗↗

Each retreat session at the Korat center can draw 70 to over 120 participants, guided by resident or visiting monks and senior lay teachers. In between formal sessions there are dhamma discussions where attendees can ask questions directly of the monks. On the final Sunday morning, practitioners who have completed their first training often gather for group offerings (sanghathana), receive blessings, and share a communal meal.↗

The center also hosts a special annual merit-making ceremony each August to mark its founding anniversary. These events draw senior monks from Wat Tha Sung itself, as well as high-ranking monastic officials from the Nakhon Ratchasima diocese. The 2024 ceremony, for instance, was attended by the abbot of Wat Tha Sung and the Provincial Ecclesiastical Governor, Phra Ratch Sima Phorn, underscoring the center's standing in the regional sangha.↗

The Volunteer Kitchen Tradition

A distinctive feature of Wat Tha Sung centers is the network of free food kitchens (rong than) staffed by volunteers. At each retreat, dozens of local families and business groups bring dishes for participants—noodle soups, rice with curry, sticky rice and desserts, herbal drinks, and fresh fruit. The 2018 event alone listed fifteen kitchen sponsors ranging from a neighborhood noodle stall to a steak vendor. Participation is entirely voluntary; no one is asked to contribute, and attendees simply come and eat.↗

Visiting and Practical Information

The center sits along Jant Road in the Nai Mueang neighborhood, close to the cultural and historical core of Korat city. It is accessible by wheelchair, with a step-free entrance and designated parking—unusual for a small religious practice space and making it welcoming to older devotees or visitors with mobility needs.↗

The center is open to anyone interested in practicing or observing, with no admission fee. However, activities are primarily scheduled around the monthly retreat weekends, so it is best to check the Wat Tha Sung website (watthasung.com) for upcoming dates before visiting. If you arrive outside retreat times, the space is quiet, functioning mainly as a prayer hall and administrative office rather than a tourist attraction.↗

Visitors attending a retreat should bring modest, comfortable clothing suitable for sitting cross-legged on mats. Those interested in trying Monom Yit for the first time are advised to arrive at least thirty minutes before the session begins to register. Thai-language instruction is the norm.↗

A Note for Meditation Seekers

Monom Yit is a specific technique within Thai Buddhism practiced principally within Wat Tha Sung's own community of devoted followers. If you are drawn to this center, you are most likely already aware of the tradition; if you are simply exploring Thai meditation options more broadly, the atmosphere here is welcoming, communal, and free of charge, though the emphasis is on faith-based visualization rather than the silent mindfulness or noting practices found in forest-tradition monasteries.↗↗

For those who wish to see the full architectural grandeur of the lineage—the famous glass-mosaic reverence hall (Wihan Kaew) and the enormous Somdej Ong Pathom Buddha image—the parent temple in Uthai Thani remains the flagship site. The Korat center offers the living practice tradition in an intimate, neighborhood-scale setting, which many longtime students find equally valuable.↗

Getting There

The address is 137/1 Jant Road, Nai Mueang, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima, 30000. By car from Bangkok, Korat is roughly a 2.5-hour drive via the Mittraphap Road. Once in the city center, Jant Road is near the old railway district and the famous Thao Suranari monument. Local songthaews and motorbike taxis can take visitors to the area, and wheelchair-accessible parking is available on-site. The Wat Tha Sung website also publishes a driving map for the center.↗↗