[UPDATED DECEMBER 27, 2023] UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO NOT HAVE PERMANENT INSTRUCTORS AT THE MOMENT.  PLAN ON CONDUCTING A "SILENT RETREAT".  READING MATERIAL CAN BE PROVIDED BUT PRIOR MEDATION EXPERIENCE IS PREFERRED.  IF YOU NEED AN INSTRUCTOR, PLEASE CONFIRM WITH STAFF PRIOR TO APPLYING.

Are We Open?:  We are open 365 days a year.  However, we are experiencing a shortage of instructors.  If you need instruction or someone to interview you, please ask before you make a reservation.  Otherwise, the facilities are available all year round.

What We Are: Boonkanjanaram Meditation Center provides a place for visitors to learn Dhamma (the way to liberation) and practice Vipassana (meditation).  The Vipassana taught at the Center follows the techniques taught by Ajahn Naeb.  

Sited on about 22 Rai (approximately 8.7 acres) acres in the middle of what was then a very rural coconut plantation, South Pattaya City has grown around us but the Center is big enough that we are screened from the outside world.  The Center typically is host to between five and fifteen monks and the same number of nuns.  There are approximately four to eight laypeople who live on-site to support the operations.

History:  The center was established in 2506 BE (1963) as a juristic entity (non-profit foundation) by Mr. Boon Charoenchai  (1911–1996) , who was at that time Minister of Industry in the Thai Government and his sister Mrs. Anong Jantrupon.   The name is an amalgamation of his name "Boon" and his wife's name "Kanjana".  

Boon Charoenchai showed great promise at an early age, winning three scholarships to study abroad.  He chose to study law in France which coincided with WWII.  After graduation, Bun served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was ambassador to several countries such as Paris, France, and India.   Boon was appointed Minister of Industry. In the government of Marshal Sarit Thanarat He served in the government of Marshal Thanom Kittikachon.  Boon was also appointed as a member of the National Legislative Assembly in 1973.

Buddhist Meditation:  Many meditators are familiar with the Western version of mindfulness which only takes some elements from Buddhist mindfulness and adds a lot of modern psychology elements, e.g. cognitive therapy which focuses mainly on quieting the mind.  Buddhist meditation goes one step further and trains you to better recognize when, why, and how your mind is unsettled.  What is clouding your mind will gradually change from vague to crystal clear, up to the point where you are able to recognize its repetitiveness of discursive thinking and provides you with the ability to turn them off.

If you are a novice, you may be intimidated by the Pali terminology and the concepts that may be different or even alien to you.  Don't be!  Although Vipassana can be a lifelong pursuit, many beginners report positive benefits after their very first retreat.  There are a few key terms and concepts that you should learn before starting but the majority of your retreat will be spent actually practicing Vipassana and sharing your experience and questions with our instructor.

In Buddhism, the first noble truth is that "Life is Dukkha".  Dukkha has been commonly translated as "suffering" but also includes Impermanence and Conditioned States (interwoven effect of all phenomena on one another).  One experiences Dukkha in the physical form (old age, ill-health, death) as well as struggles of the mind (generosity, love, wisdom, greed, hatred, and delusion) and actions (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, hurtful speech, intoxication).  Yes, we experience happiness and joy, but everyone experiences loss, grief, illness and eventually death.  This pattern then repeats itself when the soul is reborn.  The practice of meditation was founded for the purpose of realizing Nibbana (not being reborn) because if one is able to eliminate all earthly attachments during death, then there will be no rebirth.

Every person is unique and the impact of meditation differs from person to person however, the ability to eliminate these distractions of life has demonstrable benefits on everyday life.  Many people find that the practice of meditation improves mindfulness and thereby affects them in daily life and helps them to direct their focus, actions, feelings, desires, and thoughts in an attentive way.  Meditators may achieve a very profound states of consciousness, such as deep calm, profound concentration and very deep altered states of mind.

Please click on the tabs entitled "Buddhist Meditation" or "Videos from the Center" for more information on this topic.

Teaching Schedule: Many meditators are surprised that the Center does not have scheduled classes, group meditation, talks, or interviews.  Instruction focuses on individual interviews whereby students are required to report their experience to the teacher in a formal interview throughout the retreat.  The retreat interview is an essential part of the Vipassana style of practice because the meditator can report their experience and can be guided and given further instructions by the teacher.  Furthermore, the teacher can also adapt the teachings to the meditator's personal practice and experiences.  The communication with the teacher and the ability to report in the interview can greatly affect the outcome of the practice.  Beginners usually have daily interviews at first, then less often as determined by the teacher.  Instruction is usually done in the morning after breakfast.  

A single beginning student would be taught alone; if more than one beginner is at the center, they would be grouped together.  Students will also be given a book published by the Center to study.  After the interview the student spends the day practicing either in their kuti (hut) or walking on one of the many paths that lead through the Center’s ground.  

The method of instruction may seem to be unstructured but has proven to be highly effective for the thousands of Ajahn Naeb's students.  Meditators must be highly self-reliant and motivated to practice successfully. They are advised to keep noble silence with each other and abstain from reading (other than about practice) and using electronics, especially smartphones.  Three nights is the minimum stay while two weeks is the recommended length.  Six other centers in Thailand teach the same meditation system, though usually only in Thai.

We currently have instructors who are conversational in English but please confirm with the Center that the instructor will be available at your scheduled visit.  

On-line application form

Preparation: Please be prepared so that your meditation retreat will be trouble-free.

• Spend as much time on this website as possible reading the various books and articles that are attached.  Familiarize yourself with our style of Vipassana.  

• Print out the "Vipassana Bhavana" book and other articles and pages contained in this website and study them prior to arrival.  We are in a "soft opening" and may not have all the study materials ready for you.

• Make sure your visa is in order and bring your passport.

• Bring standard travel toiletries, medicine, sandals, flashlight, note pad and pen, and mosquito repellant.

• If you have a sensitive stomach to Thai food, please bring some packages of individually wrapped instant oatmeal, granola bars, etc. in case you wish to give your digestive system a break.

• If you are a tea or coffee drinker, please bring them, including sugar, powdered creamery, etc.  We can provide you with an electric water kettle.

What to Wear: Comfortable, modest, loose fitting clothing, in white if possible but not required.  Bring a pair of flip-flops or sandals.  Although the Center is within a few kilometers of the ocean, it can get rather hot and humid, especially during the Summer. If you are sensitive to heat, request a kuti with  air conditioning.  There are also mosquitoes so please bring insect repellent.  The nighttime temperature between November and February can be on the cool side so you may want to bring a light sweater or jacket.  

We have on-site laundry services for a small donation to cover operating costs.

Disclaimer: We recognize that Dharma practice is powerful, and that the Buddhist world view can be very challenging.  The accommodations at our Center are very austere and the feeling of isolation, loneliness, and confusion may sometimes occur, especially for beginners. Therefore, we recommend that if you have a history of depression or other mental health issues, please consult with your health care provider before registering to visit our Center.

Once, here, if at any time you feel you might be uncomfortable engaging in the meditation or practices offered, then we ask that you inform us immediately.

We can accept no responsibility for any adverse effects, direct or indirect, that may result from your use of the information on our website, programs, materials, or in any of our communications and events, both online and in person. Furthermore, we make no guarantees that any of the programs, advice and practice material we provide will function in any particular way for you. By using these, you agree that you use the information entirely at your own discretion.

Our staffing is limited, and we will strive to make your stay comfortable as well as try our best to interact with kindness and compassion but there may be limitations of time, resources, and skills. We cannot and will not operate beyond the limits of our own competency.

Since the study of Buddhism and Vipassana can get very complicated and intimidating for the uninitiated, we have attempted to provide a simplistic explanation therefore, what is included here is but a fraction of the Lord Buddha's teachings.  Furthermore, we do not claim authorship of some of the wording, descriptions and translations as others who have traveled the same route have put words onto paper that we cannot improve upon.  This document, and the rest of this website, is always in a state of change as we all know, everything is impermanent.  Therefore, if you feel that there is a way to improve the wording on any section, please let me know.  Also, as we have shared the teachings and wisdoms of others, please feel free to republish what you wish from this website, all we ask is that you reference the source.

The Staff

Updated: October 2022

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS ON-LINE APPLICATION FORM