Wat Pa Na Kham Noi (Wat Udom Mongkhon Wanaram)

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08.00 – 17.00

 

Wat Pa Na Kham Noi, also known as Wat Udom Mongkhon Wanaram, in Udon Thani is located at Ban Na Kham Noi, Village No. 7, Ban Kong Subdistrict, Na Yung District, Udon Thani Province. It is one of the important Thai forest meditation temples in upper northeastern Thailand. The temple is surrounded by rich natural forest, many species of trees, wildlife, and a quiet atmosphere suitable for Dhamma practice. Visitors who come to Wat Pa Na Kham Noi can experience a living forest monastery that follows the tradition of Luang Pu Mun Bhuridatto, emphasizing simplicity, discipline, solitude, and meditation.

 

The temple was formerly known as Wat Udom Mongkhon Wanaram, a name compassionately given by Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno. Later, the official name was adjusted to Wat Pa Na Kham Noi so that it would correspond with Ban Na Kham Noi, the village where the temple is located. Both names remain meaningful. Wat Udom Mongkhon Wanaram reflects the auspicious character of a forest monastery, while Wat Pa Na Kham Noi expresses the temple’s direct connection with the local community and the forested landscape of Na Yung District.

 

Wat Pa Na Kham Noi covers about 1,350 rai. This large area allows the temple to function not only as a place of worship, but also as a forest, a meditation environment, a wildlife habitat, and a natural learning area. The temple contains both old forest and newly planted forest, including teak, padauk, makha, yang, krabak, tabaek, and takhian trees. The restoration and protection of these trees make Wat Pa Na Kham Noi a strong example of a forest temple where Buddhism supports nature conservation.

 

Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno once described this place as suitable for people interested in meditation because it is forested, mountainous, and quiet. This statement captures the true identity of Wat Pa Na Kham Noi. The temple is not defined by grand tourist-oriented buildings or commercial activity. Its value comes from silence, seclusion, practice discipline, and a natural environment that supports mental training. Visitors should enter the temple with respect for Buddhism, the forest, monks, practitioners, and wildlife.

 

Phra Ratchaphavanawachirakon, widely known as Luang Pho Inthawai Santussako, is the founder and abbot of Wat Pa Na Kham Noi. He is a highly respected meditation monk and a disciple of Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno of Wat Pa Ban Tat. Luang Pho Inthawai was born on Friday, April 27, 1945, in Mukdahan Province. Mae Chee Kaew Sianglam gave him the name Inthawai at birth. He became a novice monk at the age of 11 and was fully ordained in 1965.

 

Luang Pho Inthawai plays an important role in continuing the Thai forest meditation tradition of Luang Pu Mun. His teaching and temple leadership emphasize the Vinaya, monastic discipline, mindfulness, restraint, and continuous inner cultivation. The atmosphere of Wat Pa Na Kham Noi reflects this lineage clearly. Visitors do not come here only to worship or enjoy nature. They also encounter a temple environment shaped by disciplined forest practice and respect for teacher lineage.

 

The establishment of Wat Pa Na Kham Noi was connected with the search for a suitable place for meditation in Na Yung District, Udon Thani. The area was originally part of the Na Yung and Nam Som National Reserved Forest. It had suffered degradation in the past and was also connected with difficult historical conditions in the region. Establishing a forest temple here therefore carried both practical and spiritual meaning. It helped restore the forest physically and helped restore the area spiritually through Dhamma practice.

 

Luangta Maha Bua’s support for Wat Pa Na Kham Noi was significant. One major act of support was the construction of a reinforced concrete wall 2.35 meters high and 6.75 kilometers long around the 1,350-rai temple area. He also supported the building of spillways and water-retention weirs inside the temple. These structures help protect the forest, wildlife, and monastic environment, allowing living beings within the temple area to remain in a calmer and safer environment.

 

The temple grounds are home to many kinds of wildlife, including wild boars, squirrels, langurs, monkeys, gibbons, king cobras, cobras, monitor lizards, mouse deer, pangolins, and various birds. Their presence shows the ecological richness of the temple area. Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is therefore not only a human religious site. It is also a protected living space for many beings. Visitors should not feed wildlife inappropriately, disturb animals, leave waste, or walk into areas not intended for visitors.

 

Important structures inside the temple include a two-story multi-purpose hall used for monastic activities, meals, and merit-making events. Another important building is Sala Phuttha Udom Mongkhon Dhamma Sangha Samakkhi, a raised single-story hall built to accommodate the increasing number of devotees. It is used for important temple events such as family merit-making, Magha Puja alms-giving, the annual birthday homage ceremony for Luang Pho Inthawai on April 27, and Kathin ceremonies.

 

Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is also home to a relay station of the Siang Dham for the People radio network, receiving its signal from the main station at Wat Pa Ban Tat on 107.25 MHz. The broadcast covers areas including Ban Phue, Nam Som, Na Yung, Suwannakhuha, Sangkhom, and parts of Loei Province. This role extends the temple’s Dhamma mission beyond its physical boundaries, allowing teachings in the forest tradition to reach a wider public audience.

 

Each year, around 30 to 40 monks spend the rains retreat at Wat Pa Na Kham Noi. Throughout the year, monks from important temples in Bangkok also come to stay and practice, including monks from Wat Bowonniwet Vihara and Wat Ratchabophit. During the rains retreat, laymen and laywomen also come to observe precepts and practice. This shows that Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is an active meditation monastery for both monastics and lay practitioners.

 

The temple environment is quiet, shaded, and clearly defined. Visitors feel the forest atmosphere as soon as they enter the grounds. The walking paths, large trees, natural sounds, and calmness of the place help reduce distraction. Those who visit should walk slowly, speak quietly, and use the opportunity to observe the calm character of a real Thai forest monastery.

 

Meditation practice at Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is suitable for those who already have some foundation in practice and can follow the discipline of a forest temple. The Thai forest tradition emphasizes precepts, chanting, Dhamma listening, meditation, simplicity, and respect for monastic rules. Those who wish to stay for practice or participate in temple activities should contact the temple in advance to ask about conditions, schedules, and appropriate conduct.

 

Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is suitable for several types of visitors. Devout Buddhists can come to make merit and pay respect. Those interested in Thai forest Buddhism can study the practice lineage of Luang Pho Inthawai and Luangta Maha Bua. Nature-oriented visitors can experience the protected forest inside the temple. Those seeking quietness can use the atmosphere of the temple to rest the mind and reflect on life.

 

Getting There from Udon Thani city covers about 113-117 kilometers. The main route follows Highway 2 toward Nong Khai. At around kilometer marker 13 near Ban Dong Rai, turn left toward Ban Phue District, then continue from Ban Phue toward Na Yung District and Ban Na Kham Noi. Travel time by private car or rental car is usually around two hours, depending on road and traffic conditions. Some sections are rural and close to mountain areas, so a vehicle in good condition is recommended.

 

Travelers using public transport can use the air-conditioned bus route from Bangkok to Na Yung District that passes near the temple, or travel first to Udon Thani by train or plane and continue by local vehicle. Public transportation requires careful time planning because the temple is in a rural area and services are not as frequent as in the city. Visitors who want to combine Wat Pa Na Kham Noi with Wat Pa Phu Kon, Na Yung-Nam Som National Park, or Sangkhom District will find a private vehicle more practical.

 

The best times to visit are in the morning and late afternoon. Morning is cooler and more peaceful for worship and walking through the forest. Late afternoon is suitable for visitors arriving from Wat Pa Phu Kon or Na Yung town. During the rainy season, careful driving is needed because rural and forest roads may be wet. During the cool season, the weather is especially pleasant for quiet reflection and meditation.

 

Temple etiquette is essential at Wat Pa Na Kham Noi. Visitors should dress modestly, speak softly, avoid loud music, avoid disturbing monks and practitioners, avoid entering monastic or kuti areas without permission, avoid feeding wildlife in inappropriate ways, and keep the temple clean. This is a real forest monastery with wildlife and practitioners living in the same area, so quiet and respectful conduct is necessary.

 

A suitable travel route from Udon Thani city begins in the morning at Wat Pa Na Kham Noi for worship, Dhamma reflection, and a quiet walk through the temple grounds. Visitors can then continue to Wat Pa Phu Kon, Na Yung-Nam Som National Park, Yung Thong Waterfall, Pha Daeng Viewpoint, or Sangkhom District in Nong Khai Province. This route combines forest monasteries, mountain landscapes, and Dhamma heritage in one journey.

 

For international visitors, Wat Pa Na Kham Noi provides a clear example of Thai forest Buddhism. The temple does not focus on luxury, entertainment, or tourist display. It emphasizes discipline, meditation, natural quietness, and teacher lineage. Visitors can understand that Thai Buddhism includes not only urban temples and ceremonies, but also forest monasteries where silence, trees, wildlife, and monastic practice help train the mind.

 

Considering its 1,350-rai forest area, rich natural environment, the role of Luang Pho Inthawai Santussako, the support of Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno, its connection with the Luang Pu Mun forest tradition, and its continuing role as a meditation monastery for monks and laypeople, Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is one of the most meaningful temples in Na Yung District and Udon Thani Province. Visitors can make merit, learn about Thai forest practice, experience a protected forest environment, and understand how a forest temple can preserve both nature and the human mind.

 

 

A: Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is located at Ban Na Kham Noi, Village No. 7, Ban Kong Subdistrict, Na Yung District, Udon Thani Province. The temple covers about 1,350 rai of forest land.

 

A: Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00. Visitors who wish to stay for Dhamma practice should contact the temple in advance and follow temple regulations.

 

A: The abbot of Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is Phra Ratchaphavanawachirakon, also known as Luang Pho Inthawai Santussako, the founder of the temple and a respected meditation monk in the lineage of Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno.

 

A: Luangta Maha Bua Nanasampanno gave the temple its former name, Wat Udom Mongkhon Wanaram, and supported several important developments at the temple, including the boundary wall and water-retention structures.

 

A: The main highlights are its Thai forest meditation lineage, 1,350 rai of forest land, rich natural environment, wildlife, peaceful atmosphere, and the Dhamma practice tradition of Luang Pho Inthawai Santussako.

 

A: Yes. Wat Pa Na Kham Noi is suitable for meditation because it is a quiet forest monastery following the Thai forest tradition, with a peaceful natural setting that supports mindfulness, restraint, and inner reflection.

 

A: From Udon Thani city, take Highway 2 toward Nong Khai. At around kilometer marker 13 near Ban Dong Rai, turn left toward Ban Phue District, then continue to Na Yung District and Ban Na Kham Noi. The total distance is about 113-117 km.

 

A: Nearby places include Wat Pa Phu Kon, Na Yung-Nam Som National Park, Yung Thong Waterfall, Pha Daeng Viewpoint, Sangkhom District, Nam Som District, and Wat Phu Na Lao.