BANGKOK

Thailand's capital has many famous wats and some highly respected teachers. Meditation practice can be difficult, however, due to crowded conditions, noise, air pollution, and lack of English. The city may best serve as a place for information before one heads out to the countryside. Unless you're a resident of Bangkok, there's no reason to stay here since wats and meditation centres in other parts of Thailand can be reached in as little as an hour's bus ride away; even most distant provinces lie only an overnight bus or train ride away.


' littlebang ' - the Bangkok Meditation Guide

This is a continually updated blog with details and maps of nearly all Dhamma events that happen in Bangkok. There are up-to-date details on Regular Events about Bangkok by the World Fellowship of Buddhists, World Buddhist Univeristy, Baan Aree Library, I.B.M.C. , and also links and details for Special Events about town. The site includes a useful Events Calendar that shows everything in chronological order, and information on the Buddhist significance of Thai public holidays. There is a contact form for submitting news about other events that are not listed. The site is designed to be a focus for all Dhamma Events in Bangkok of the different organizations, and host to an interesting 'live' community blog for regular contributers.

Bangkok Meditation Guide
http://www.littlebang.org/

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The World Fellowship of Buddhists (W.F.B.)

The W.F.B. works to bring Buddhists of the world closer together by helping to exchange news and views of groups in different countries and by promoting ways to bring greater peace and happiness to the world. Since the W.F.B.'s founding in 1950, more than 100 organizations in 37 countries around the world have joined as regional centres. The headquarters in Bangkok offers a free talk and meditation class in English from 2 to 5:30 p.m . on the first Sunday of each month, provides information on places to learn and practice meditation in Thailand, and distributes some English and Thai books. The headquarters publishes a quarterly journal, the "W.F.B . Review," which has wide-ranging articles on Buddhist topics. A library has many English books on Buddhism, including some hard-to-find titles. The front doors are generally locked but you can enter via the rear door.

The office is open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
616 Sukhumvit Rd. Soi 24 , Bangkok 10110;
Tel. (66) 02-661-1284-90 Fax: (66) 02-661-0555
http://wfbhq.org/index.php

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I.B.M.C. - International Buddhist Meditation Centre

This is part of Mahaculalongkorn University and has gone through several incarnations. There are usually meeting there once or twice a month held by English speaking monks or Professors of the MCU University. They also arrange retreats for Bangkok residents, in the Wang Noi district, Ayuttaya, where the main Mahaculalongkorn University is situated. For visiting schools/universities, and general contact for international affairs the International M.A. degree program has English speakers daily in the office from 1pm - 8pm week days (check for 'Wan Phra' days on a Thai calendar as the university is often closed). Much of the information at the MCU links below is out of date, and you should try and check in advance if you can.

I.B.M.C.
http://www.mcu.ac.th/IBMC/
Vipassana Section Room 106, Mahachula Building Wat Mahadhat, close to Sanam Luang

International Degree program Office
Room 304, Mahacula Building, Wat Mahadhat Tel : 02 225 8686 ext: 137
http://www.mcu.ac.th/En/major/major_index.php

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World Buddhist University Forum

On the First Sunday of every month there is (usually) an open forum with varying speakers and topics from 12:00 - 1:30 pm on the third floor of the W.F.B. building. It can be worth phoning to check first, as it is sometimes cancelled.

The office is in the same building as the WFB above

https://www.worldbuddhistuniversity.com/