Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: Open for daytime visits and worship

 

Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet, also widely known as Wat Khru Ba Soi, is an important Buddhist temple in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. Located along the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang-Mae Sariang highway around kilometer marker 136 in Moo 1, Tha Song Yang Subdistrict, the temple stands beside Mae Chuang Stream and serves as a meaningful place of worship for local residents, pilgrims, and travelers passing through the northern border route of Tak. The temple is best known as the place where visitors can pay respect to the preserved body of Phra Khru Ba Soi Khantisaro, the revered monk who founded and developed the temple.

 

The temple is located on a practical and culturally important travel route connecting Mae Sot, Tha Song Yang, and Mae Sariang. This road passes through mountain landscapes, local communities, streams, and forested areas. Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet is therefore both a local temple and a spiritual stop for travelers. Its atmosphere is simple and peaceful, reflecting the character of a borderland temple in western Thailand rather than a large urban tourist temple.

 

Phra Khru Ba Soi Khantisaro was born on Monday, 28 September 1929, in Lahan Sai Subdistrict, Nang Rong District, Buriram Province. His early life was marked by hardship, as both of his parents passed away when he was 7 years old. He was then raised by his grandmother. As a child, he once offered sugar to a wandering monk, who told him that when he grew up he should enter the monkhood. This moment became an important part of his life story and helped shape the spiritual path he later followed.

 

After completing primary school, his grandmother took him to be ordained as a novice monk at Wat Chumphon near his home. Later, at the age of 22, he was fully ordained as a Buddhist monk. He received the monastic name “Khantisaro,” a name that reflects patience, endurance, and spiritual perseverance. These qualities became central to his life and practice. After ordination, he studied meditation and Buddhist practice under respected teachers, including Luang Pho Suk, and later continued his meditation studies in Bangkok.

 

In 1954, Khru Ba Soi traveled to Bangkok and stayed at Wat Mahathat, where he practiced Vipassana meditation for 7 months. He later returned to serve as abbot at Wat Klang Nang Rong in Buriram Province. After the rains retreat, he left to continue wandering ascetic practice in various places. His life reflected the discipline of a monk who valued meditation, simplicity, and the direct cultivation of the mind over comfort or status.

 

Local accounts also preserve extraordinary stories about Khru Ba Soi. One important story refers to an event in 1960, when he became unwell after breakfast and rested. It is said that his spirit left his body for the second time, but after one day he revived. Such stories form part of the faith surrounding him. For his followers, they are not merely miraculous tales, but reflections of the spiritual strength and unusual life of a dedicated monk.

 

In 1962, Khru Ba Soi began developing the temple so that it would become a proper and stable Buddhist place of worship. Local belief says that during meditation, guardian spirits appeared and asked about his intention. He replied that he wished to restore and improve the temple. Construction and development then proceeded, and by 1963 the work was completed. Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet therefore became a temple built through the effort of Khru Ba Soi and the faith of local people.

 

Khru Ba Soi passed away on 19 December 1998 at 07.19 a.m. at the age of 69. After his passing, his body did not decay in the ordinary way and has been preserved at Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet for devotees to pay respect. This has made the temple an important pilgrimage site for those who respect meditation monks, forest-practice traditions, and revered local masters. Many visitors come to ask for blessings, pay homage, and remember his teachings and good deeds.

 

The importance of the temple is closely tied to the memory of Khru Ba Soi. He was not only a monk who lived at the temple, but the person who built it, guided local faith, and left a lasting spiritual legacy in Tha Song Yang. His life story connects several regions of Thailand, from Buriram and Bangkok to Mae Sot and Tha Song Yang. For this reason, Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet is more than a local temple. It is a place where the story of a monk’s perseverance, meditation, and service is preserved in a living religious setting.

 

The temple’s surroundings add to its atmosphere. Located near Mae Chuang Stream and the main borderland road, it offers a calm setting where visitors can pause from the journey, make merit, and reflect. The temple is especially meaningful for travelers who prefer quiet religious sites with strong local faith rather than crowded attractions. Its simplicity is part of its value.

 

Getting There is most convenient by private car or rental car. From Mae Sot, travel north along the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang-Mae Sariang route toward Tha Song Yang District. The temple is located around kilometer marker 136 in Moo 1, Tha Song Yang Subdistrict, beside Mae Chuang Stream. Drivers should be cautious on the route, especially during rainy weather, because some sections pass through mountainous terrain and local traffic areas.

 

Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet can be combined with other attractions in Tha Song Yang, such as the Tha Song Yang morning market, Wat Phra That Rattanachedi, local communities along the Moei River, Mae Usu Cave, Mae Tan community, and Ke Le Hi. Travelers interested in borderland culture, local temples, ethnic communities, and natural scenery will find the temple a meaningful stop along this route.

 

Visitors should dress modestly and behave respectfully. Since the temple enshrines the preserved body of a revered monk, visitors should speak quietly, avoid touching sacred objects without permission, and take photographs with care. The purpose of visiting should be guided by respect, not merely curiosity. A respectful visit allows travelers to understand why Khru Ba Soi remains deeply honored by local people and followers.

 

In summary, Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet is an important spiritual landmark of Tha Song Yang District. It is located along the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang-Mae Sariang road near Mae Chuang Stream and is closely associated with Phra Khru Ba Soi Khantisaro, the monk who founded and developed the temple. His preserved body, life of meditation, and lasting influence make the temple a significant destination for Buddhist worship, local history, and cultural travel in northern Tak Province.

 

 

A: Wat Mongkhon Khiri Khet is located along the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang-Mae Sariang highway around kilometer marker 136 in Moo 1, Tha Song Yang Subdistrict, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, beside Mae Chuang Stream.

 

A: The temple is important because it enshrines the preserved body of Phra Khru Ba Soi Khantisaro, the revered monk who founded and developed the temple.

 

A: Phra Khru Ba Soi Khantisaro was a respected meditation monk and temple founder. He was born on 28 September 1929, ordained at the age of 22, and became deeply respected by the people of Tha Song Yang.

 

A: Yes. Visitors can pay respect daily during daytime hours, but should dress modestly and behave respectfully inside the temple.

 

A: The most convenient way is by private car or rental car from Mae Sot along the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang-Mae Sariang route. The temple is beside the main road around kilometer marker 136.

 

A: The temple is suitable for Buddhist pilgrims, cultural travelers, visitors interested in revered monks, and those exploring the borderland route of Tha Song Yang.

 

A: Nearby attractions include Tha Song Yang Morning Market, Wat Phra That Rattanachedi, Moei River communities, Mae Tan Community, Mae Usu Cave, and Ke Le Hi Village.

 

A: Visitors should dress modestly, allow enough travel time, check road conditions, and drive carefully because parts of the Mae Sot-Tha Song Yang route pass through mountain terrain.