Wat Pa Ban Kho

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08.00 – 17.00

 

Wat Pa Ban Kho in Udon Thani is located at Ban Kho, Khuea Nam Subdistrict, Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province. It is one of the most important forest meditation temples in the province and is widely respected for its peaceful monastic environment, its Dhamma practice tradition, and the presence of Phra Maha That Chedi Chaloem Phra Barami Phra Nawamin. The temple is not only a place for worship and merit-making. It is also a major center for meditation practice, Buddhist education, Dhamma training, and spiritual retreat for monks, laypeople, Thai visitors, and international practitioners.

 

Wat Pa Ban Kho was founded on January 1, 1985, under the leadership of Phra Ajarn Thoon Khippapanyo, widely known as Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo. The temple covers about 410 rai and preserves the atmosphere of a Thai forest monastery. Its buildings and facilities are arranged according to practical needs for monks, novices, and lay practitioners, rather than for luxury or display. The overall setting emphasizes quietness, simplicity, seclusion, mindfulness, and direct Dhamma practice.

 

The main landmark of Wat Pa Ban Kho is Phra Maha That Chedi Chaloem Phra Barami Phra Nawamin. The white stupa rises prominently in the temple grounds and functions as the spiritual center of the monastery. Visitors usually begin their visit by paying respect at the chedi before walking to other areas. The stupa represents devotion to Buddhism, reverence for the Buddha’s relics, and the collective faith of devotees who helped support the temple and its Dhamma mission.

 

Near the main chedi stands a sacred Bodhi tree. The tree is connected with the lineage of the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Through the lineage associated with Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, the Bodhi tree at Wat Pa Ban Kho carries profound symbolic meaning for Buddhists. Its presence near the great stupa creates a powerful sacred area where two central Buddhist symbols appear together: the relic stupa and the tree of awakening.

 

Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo was the founding teacher of Wat Pa Ban Kho and remains the central spiritual figure of the temple. He was born on May 20, 1935, in Maha Sarakham Province and was ordained on July 27, 1961, at Wat Phothisomphon in Udon Thani. His preceptor was Phra Thamma Chedi, also known as Chum Phanthulo. After ordination, Luang Pho Thoon practiced seriously, traveled to suitable places for meditation, and became a disciple of Luang Pu Khao Analayo of Wat Tham Klong Phen before eventually establishing Wat Pa Ban Kho with his followers.

 

Luang Pho Thoon’s teaching is especially known for its emphasis on wisdom. He taught practitioners to transform wrong view into right view, to contemplate experience directly, and to use daily life as material for seeing impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self. His approach made Dhamma practice accessible to both monastics and laypeople because it did not depend only on formal meditation posture. It emphasized clear seeing, internal reflection, and the practical use of wisdom in ordinary life.

 

In 1990, Luang Pho Thoon was honored for his contribution to Buddhism and received the Sao Sema Dhammachakra Award in the field of Buddhist writing. On August 12, 2004, he was granted the royal ecclesiastical title Phra Panya Phisarn Thera. He passed away at Wat Pa Ban Kho on November 11, 2008, at the age of 73, after 48 rains retreats. His royal cremation took place at Wat Pa Ban Kho on February 1, 2009. His life, teachings, writings, and Dhamma practice continue to shape the identity of the temple.

 

After Luang Pho Thoon’s passing, Wat Pa Ban Kho continued its Dhamma work through succeeding teachers. Phra Khru Piyasila Chan, also known as Phra Ajarn Chaiya Aphichayo, serves as the abbot of Wat Pa Ban Kho and continues the temple’s Dhamma teaching and practice tradition. Luang Pho Toi is also recognized as the temple’s monastic president. This continuing lineage allows the temple to remain a living place of practice, not merely a memorial to a past teacher.

 

Wat Pa Ban Kho has been designated as the provincial royal commemorative mental development center of Udon Thani. This reflects the temple’s role beyond ordinary local worship. It has hosted ordination training, Dhamma practice programs, meditation activities for students and the public, and spiritual training for laypeople. Thai and foreign practitioners have also come to stay and receive practical Dhamma guidance. The temple therefore serves as a bridge between traditional Thai forest monastic practice and people from different backgrounds who are interested in Buddhist training.

 

The great chedi is also the center of important annual temple activities. During the Magha Puja period, Wat Pa Ban Kho holds the ceremonial bathing of the Buddha’s relics, a major merit-making and meditation event attended by large numbers of devotees. Activities include observing precepts, practicing meditation, listening to Dhamma talks, offering food, joining merit-making activities, and participating in candlelight circumambulation. This annual event shows the temple’s continuing importance as a regional center of faith and practice.

 

The temple grounds include several important zones: the great stupa, the worship courtyard, the sacred Bodhi tree, memorial areas connected with Luang Pho Thoon, Dhamma halls, monastic residences, lay practitioner accommodation areas, meditation areas, forest walking paths, and quiet natural spaces for seclusion. These areas are connected by the same purpose: supporting faith, mindfulness, simplicity, and direct contemplation.

 

The facilities at Wat Pa Ban Kho are intentionally simple and practical. The temple provides what is necessary for monks and lay practitioners to live and practice, while preserving the forest atmosphere that supports inner reflection. The trees, open grounds, quiet paths, and retreat areas help reduce outside distraction. This makes the temple suitable for walking meditation, seated meditation, Dhamma listening, and quiet contemplation.

 

Wat Pa Ban Kho is suitable for Buddhists who want to pay respect to the great stupa, make merit, and remember Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo. It is also suitable for those who want to understand the Thai forest meditation tradition. The temple shows how teachers, Dhamma practice, forest space, monastic discipline, and lay faith work together. Visitors can see that a forest monastery is not simply a temple located among trees, but a complete environment designed to train the mind.

 

For international visitors, Wat Pa Ban Kho provides a clear example of Thai forest Buddhism. It is different from large ornamental temples in major cities. Its focus is not spectacle, but quietness, simplicity, wisdom, and practice. Foreign visitors can understand that a Thai Buddhist temple can function as a place for serious inner training, not only as a ceremonial or architectural destination.

 

The white stupa is also one of the most beautiful photographic points in Ban Phue District. Good viewpoints include the front approach, the main courtyard, and angles where the spire rises above the trees. Photography should be done respectfully because the stupa is a sacred place connected with the Buddha’s relics and temple practice. Visitors should avoid loud behavior, inappropriate poses, or any action that disturbs worshippers and practitioners.

 

Getting There from Udon Thani city is straightforward. Take Highway 2 on the Udon Thani-Nong Khai route. At around kilometer marker 13, turn left onto Highway 2021, the Udon Thani-Ban Phue road. Continue for about 20 kilometers, then turn right into the road leading to Wat Pa Ban Kho for about 3 kilometers. The total distance from Udon Thani city is about 36 kilometers. A private car, rental car, or chartered local vehicle is the most convenient option.

 

From Ban Phue town, the temple is easier to reach by car or local hired transport. Travelers using public transport should first travel from Udon Thani city to Ban Phue and then continue to the temple by local vehicle. A chartered vehicle is recommended for visitors who want to combine Wat Pa Ban Kho with Phu Phrabat Historical Park, Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok, Na Kha textile market, and Ban Phue town in one day.

 

A suitable half-day route from Udon Thani begins in the morning at Wat Pa Ban Kho. Visitors can pay respect to the great stupa, visit the sacred Bodhi tree, and walk quietly through the temple grounds. After that, they can have lunch in Ban Phue town or visit a nearby café. Those with more time can continue to Phu Phrabat Historical Park, one of Udon Thani’s most significant cultural landscapes.

 

A full-day route can begin with the Na Kha textile area near Udon Thani, continue to Wat Pa Ban Kho, then proceed to Phu Phrabat Historical Park and Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok before returning to Udon Thani in the evening. This route combines local handicrafts, forest Buddhism, a sacred stupa, and historic rock formations in one journey.

 

The best times to visit are in the morning and late afternoon. Morning visits are cooler and suitable for worship and quiet walking. Late afternoon light gives the white stupa a softer appearance and is suitable for photography. During Magha Puja and the annual relic-bathing event, visitors should allow more time because the temple receives many devotees and hosts major religious activities.

 

Visitors should dress modestly and behave respectfully. Shoulders and knees should be covered, loud conversation should be avoided, and shoes should be removed before entering designated sacred areas. Visitors should not disturb monks, novices, or lay practitioners. Wat Pa Ban Kho is an active meditation monastery, so preserving quietness is part of respecting the place.

 

Those who wish to stay for meditation practice should contact the temple in advance to ask about accommodation, rules, daily schedule, and preparation. Forest monasteries emphasize simplicity, discipline, and shared order. General visitors may pay respect and explore the main areas during opening hours, while those staying longer should follow the temple’s regulations carefully.

 

Considering its great stupa, sacred Bodhi tree, the legacy of Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo, its role as a provincial mental development center, and its forest atmosphere for seclusion and practice, Wat Pa Ban Kho is one of the most important temples to visit in Udon Thani. It offers worship, Dhamma learning, meditation, forest calmness, and a deeper understanding of Thai Buddhism in one place.

 

 

A: Wat Pa Ban Kho is located at Ban Kho, Khuea Nam Subdistrict, Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province. It is about 36 kilometers from Udon Thani city and is one of the province’s important forest meditation temples.

 

A: Wat Pa Ban Kho is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00. Morning and late afternoon are suitable times for paying respect to the great stupa, making merit, and walking quietly through the temple grounds.

 

A: The main highlight is Phra Maha That Chedi Chaloem Phra Barami Phra Nawamin. The temple also features a sacred Bodhi tree, forest meditation areas, and memorial areas connected with Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo.

 

A: Luang Pho Thoon Khippapanyo, also known as Phra Panya Phisarn Thera, founded Wat Pa Ban Kho on January 1, 1985. He was an important forest-monk teacher known for wisdom-based Dhamma practice and Buddhist writings.

 

A: The abbot of Wat Pa Ban Kho is Phra Khru Piyasila Chan, also known as Phra Ajarn Chaiya Aphichayo. Luang Pho Toi is also recognized as the monastic president of Wat Pa Ban Kho.

 

A: Yes. Wat Pa Ban Kho is suitable for meditation practice because it has forest meditation areas, simple monastic facilities, and the status of Udon Thani’s provincial royal commemorative mental development center. Visitors who wish to stay for practice should contact the temple in advance.

 

A: From Udon Thani city, take Highway 2 toward Nong Khai. At kilometer marker 13, turn left onto Highway 2021 toward Ban Phue, continue for about 20 kilometers, then turn right into the temple road for about 3 kilometers.

 

A: Nearby places include Phu Phrabat Historical Park, Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok, Thai Phuan Museum Ban Phue, Na Kha Textile Market, Wat Pa Phu Kon, Udon Thani city, and Nong Khai Province.