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SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE MONASTERY
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| Thamkrabok Monastery from above |
| Name: |
Tham (falling tone) means in Thai, "cave".
Krabok (low tones) is a creation of the abbot, Luangpaw
Charoen: "Kra ja bawk" means "to have something
to say".
The name of the monastery could thus be translated as "Cave
of the Teaching". |
| Location: |
Thamkrabok Monastery is located about 130 km North from Bangkok,
capital of Thailand, between Saraburi and Phraputthabat, on
the way to Lopburi. |
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All visitors are welcome
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How to get to Thamkrabok Monastery: |
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A taxi from Bangkok's international airport (Don Muang) to
Thamkrabok costs about 1500 Baht. |
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From Bangkok's bus station Mawchit there is a bus to Lopburi,
which also stops near the airport. Ask the driver to stop at
Thamkrabok. The journey takes between 2 and 3 hours. (Costs:
about 80 Baht) |
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In front of the airport there is a train-station, with trains
to Saraburi. In Saraburi, one has to change to the bus to Lopburi.
The bus-station is nearby. |
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The bus-ride between Saraburi and Thamkrabok takes about 20
minutes. The bus stops right beside the entrance to the monastery.
From the entrance you will go straight on and then turn right.
The walk to the reception will take you about 10 minutes. Sometimes
there is a small taxi, which will bring you there for 20 Baht. |
In the monastery, there are about 100 monks ("Phra";
dark brown robe) and 20 nuns ("Chee"; white dress).
The monks and the nuns have built all the buildings, streets
and monuments within the monastery, themselves.
They eat their only meal of the day at 7 a.m.
There is a "chanting" (melodic recitation of sacred
texts) every day at 6.30 p.m.
One of the main activities in the monastery is the world-famous
drug detoxification of patients.
According to the monks' practice, the inhabitants of the monastery
undertake a pilgrimage by foot every year, which is called a
"tudong". This event takes place in the month of April.
During that period the monastery is closed. |
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Pilgrimage
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On the grounds of the monastery there is also a colony of
laymen and a village of about 14.000 Hmong, members of an
ethnic minority, admitted in 20 Thai provinces.
The abbot, Luangpaw Charoen, once called Thamkrabok "an
airport to Nirvana". This is very deep. Here you can
effectively see and observe - as well as experience - all
kinds of people and events. It really is like being at the
airport: you might see persons who are just hanging around,
and there are the ones who only come as visitors. You will
see the pilots, the various kinds of workers and staffs and
finally those passengers who effectively take an airplane
to their destination.
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A SHORT HISTORY OF THAMKRABOK
| 1956 |
The region was discovered by Luangpaw Charoen Panchand, who
was at that time a young monk on a pilgrimage. |
| 1957 |
Luang Sehree Roemrit, Samahn Ronaritchay from the army and
others invited Luangpaw Charoen, his brother, Luangpaw Chamroon,
their aunt, Mian Panchand - later called Luang Paw Yaai - and
a few monks, to establish a monastery. Therefore the small "team"
left the monastery Klawng Mao, where they had been practising.
During the first six years they slept in a cave, then land was
donated and some wooden houses were built for them.
Luang Paw Yaai was a hard working nun. She was obviously in
contact with high spiritual realms. Luangpaw Charoen called
her "a talking bible", Luangpaw Chamroon "a visionary".
She has given the teaching to Thamkrabok. She is the most venerated
person in Thamkrabok Monastery. |
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Luang Paw Yaai
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| 1959 |
In response to prime minister Sarit Tanat's measures against
drug addiction, the monks from Thamkrabok under the guidance
of Luang Paw Yaai, started to develop the drug detoxification
programme. |
| 1961 |
The first Hmong came to Thamkrabok as opium patients. It was
the plan of the government to prevent them from growing opium
as a result of their detoxification. |
| 1970 |
Luang Paw Yaai passed away. Luangpaw Charoen left the monastery
for a 10 years pilgrimage. Luangpaw Chamroon became the abbot. |
| 1975 |
Luangpaw Chamroon Panchand received the "Magsaysay-Award"
for the drug detoxification programme, which is considered to
be an "achievement of worldwide significance". |
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Luangpaw Chamroon
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| 1981 |
Luangpaw Charoen returned from his pilgrimage and took the
lead and the responsibility for all the construction work in
the monastery, according to his visions. |
| 1999 |
Luangaw Chamroon passed away. Luangaw Charoen became the abbot.
Over a period of 40 years, more than 100,000 patients from around
the world have found treatment in Thamkrabok. |
next site - Pictures
from Thamkrabok
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