Monthly 10-day silent retreats in English in a coconut grove in southern Thailand. This guide is compiled from the hermitage's own published information; we have not visited, and it is not a review.
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The place
Suan Mokkh International Dharma Hermitage was founded by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu in 1986 in a southern Thailand coconut grove. Its stated aims are to foster world peace and mutual understanding between religions. It emphasises humility, simplicity and closeness to nature, and says it has trained about 30,000 international visitors, aged from 17 to over 70, as of September 2023.
How the retreat works
- Ten-day silent retreats start on the 1st of each month and end on the 11th. The site says this schedule continues "in the foreseeable future", so check it before you travel.
- Registration is in person on the last day of the previous month; advance booking is not possible.
- You must stay the full ten days. Shorter or longer stays and joining part-way are not accepted.
- The technique taught is mindfulness with breathing (concentration and insight), with an introduction to the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Living conditions
The motto of Ajahn Buddhadasa was "Live plainly, aim high", and the conditions reflect it: a small private room with a hard bed, a straw mat, a blanket, a mosquito net and a wooden pillow; shared toilets and bathing; two vegetarian meals a day and a drink in the evening. Special diets and outside food are not allowed, and phones and other devices are deposited for the retreat.
Who it suits
- People who can be free of all commitments for ten days. The hermitage says arrangements such as calls, tickets and visa extensions must be made before it begins.
- People in good general health, physically and mentally. The retreat is not suitable for people with mental disorders or drug addictions.
- Anyone comfortable with simple conditions and silence.
Read is a silent retreat safe? first.
Before you go
- Read what to expect on a 10-day silent retreat and what noble silence means.
- See what to wear and digital detox on retreat.
- Check dates and rules on the hermitage's own site.
- Compare other options in meditation retreats in Thailand.
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