International Dharma Hermitage Meditation Retreat at Suan Mokkh

Below is a video overview of the International Dhamma Hermitage (IDH) Meditation Retreat site in Chaiya, Suratthani Thailand as part of Buddhadasa Bhikku’s Wat Suan Mokkh Theravada Buddhist temple.

Each month from the 1st to the 11th, scores (and sometimes over 100) meditation retreat participants make their way to the IDH for a 10-day silent retreat of walking and sitting meditation. The location is ideal, being over a mile from the main highway linking Thailand’s central and southern provinces.

This site is separate from (across the highway) the main Suan Mokkh Buddhist temple, but the same parent organization.

Enjoy the video – if you do go to do a ten-day retreat here, can you let us know about it in the comments section? Thank you!

Wat Suan Mokkh Retreats Video >

In this video I just do a walk around of the retreat grounds at the Dharma Hermitage and show what some of the common areas look like including the dorm, meditation areas, pond, and hot springs on and off the property.

If you’re thinking about doing this 10 day course there are some reviews I found recently that really seem to be on point. I’ll post a couple of them below.

Intro – Dharma Hermitage Retreat

10-Day Silent Meditation Retreats at Suan Mokkh

These silent retreats happen every month, starting on the 1st and ending on the 11th. You must register in person on the last day of the previous month — no advance booking, no late arrivals, and no partial attendance allowed.

The retreat is held at the International Dharma Hermitage, founded by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu in 1986, set in a peaceful coconut grove in southern Thailand. Since then, about 30,000 people from all over the world have attended.

The practice focuses on Mindfulness with Breathing — a mix of concentration and vipassana meditation. You’ll also get an intro to some core Buddhist teachings like the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

Important Details:

• You need to be free from all outside responsibilities. No phone, email, or errands — all devices are held for safekeeping.
• You must be in good mental and physical health. This retreat isn’t suitable for people with mental health issues or drug addictions.
• The conditions are very basic — a small private room with a hard bed, straw mat, blanket, mosquito net, and wooden pillow. Bathrooms are shared.
• Two vegetarian meals per day, plus an evening drink. No snacks or special diets.
• Bring loose, modest clothing (shoulders to below knees), slippers, toiletries, mosquito repellent, and a raincoat if it’s rainy season.

If you want to visit outside of the retreat period, you’re welcome to practice on your own at the main Suan Mokkh monastery nearby. Full details are on their website.

Motto from founder of the main Suan Mokkhabalaram Forest Temple, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu to keep in mind — Live plainly, aim high.

What to Expect at the Dharma Hermitage Retreat

Meditation Practice

Meditation trains the mind to develop focus, mindfulness, and awareness. At Suan Mokkh, you’ll be learning Anapanasati — Mindfulness with Breathing — which combines both concentration and insight meditation.

In the first few days, you’ll focus mainly on concentration by observing the breath. As the retreat continues, insight practice is gradually introduced. All instructions and talks are in English.

Meditation takes real energy and commitment. A 10-day retreat isn’t easy, especially for beginners. You’ll need to adjust to early mornings, less sleep, a fixed daily routine, and a simple lifestyle. It usually takes 3 or 4 days to settle into the rhythm, but once you do, it gets easier.

Some things to expect:

• Early wake-ups and reduced sleep
• Two vegetarian meals per day
• Physical and mental discomfort
• Boredom, restlessness, or doubt

That’s all normal. The schedule is designed to support beginners, so just give yourself time to adapt.

Retreat Rules

To support your practice and keep the environment focused, there are a few essential rules everyone must follow:

• Keep total silence for the full 10 days (except during interviews and emergencies)
• Stay within the retreat grounds
• Follow the Eight Precepts:
  • No killing (even insects)
  • No stealing
  • No sexual activity
  • No harmful speech
  • No intoxicants (no alcohol, smoking, or drugs)
  • No eating after noon until dawn
  • No music, entertainment, or beautification
  • No sleeping on luxurious beds or seats

These guidelines help clear the mind, simplify life, and create the right mental space for deep practice.

Absolutely — here’s a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the schedule that’s more visually friendly, without losing any of the key info. I grouped related items, made the headings stand out, and kept everything readable at a glance:

Registration Day

07:00–15:00 — Registration
08:00 🔔 — Breakfast (Dining Hall)
12:30 🔔 — Lunch
15:50 🔔 — Gathering Bell
16:00 — Welcome Talk with the Abbot
17:00 — Boundary Tour
18:00 — Tea & Hot Springs
19:00 🔔 — Evening Bell
19:15 — Orientation Talk + Q&A
🔕 Silence Begins after Q&A
21:30 — Lights Out

Day 11 – Closing Day

04:00 🔔 — Wake Up
04:30 — Morning Reading
04:45 — Sitting Meditation
05:15 — Pack & Clean Your Room
05:45 — Pick Up Passport + Browse Book Table
🔔 Silence Ends
07:00 — End of Retreat — Walk to Main Monastery
08:00 — Breakfast at Main Monastery
09:30 — Optional Talk & Tour at the Spiritual Theatre (1–1.5 hrs)

So, after silence ends, you’ll have a chance to talk with people and connect with email or swapping chat contacts.

Daily Retreat Schedule

(Schedule can vary slightly on Day 9 & 10)
🔕 Silence is observed at all times

04:00 🔔 — Wake Up
04:30 — Morning Reading
04:45 — Sitting Meditation
05:15 — Yoga / Mindful Movement
07:00 🔔 — Dhamma Talk + Sitting Meditation
08:00 — Breakfast & Chores
10:00 🔔 — Dhamma Talk
11:00 — Walking / Standing Meditation
11:45 🔔 — Sitting Meditation
12:30 — Lunch & Chores
14:30 🔔 — Meditation Instruction + Sitting
15:30 — Walking / Standing Meditation
16:15 🔔 — Sitting Meditation
17:00 🔔 — Chanting + Loving Kindness
18:00 — Tea & Hot Springs
19:30 🔔 — Sitting Meditation
20:00 — Group Walking Meditation
20:30 🔔 — Sitting Meditation
21:00 🔔 — Prepare for Bed (Gates close at 21:15)
21:30 🔔 — Lights Out

Please Note
All participants need to follow everything in the daily schedule. All activities are compulsory except Yoga/Exercise. Please read carefully and make sure you’re fully committed before joining the retreat.

Dharma Hermitage Retreat – Realistic Review 1

The Noble Truth About Suan Mokkh

After 30 years of practicing Vipassana and attending meditation retreats around the world, here’s what I can say about Suan Mokkh. It’s like a stunning ship with no one at the helm — beautiful on the outside, but missing direction. It’s stale food served on a golden plate.

The setting is incredible — natural hot springs, peaceful ponds, giant trees, and simple, traditional-style accommodations. The wooden log pillow? Over the top. The candle-lit walking meditation at night is a brilliant idea, but the harsh fluorescent lighting everywhere (even in the rooms) completely kills the vibe. It ends up looking like a public toilet at an Indian bus station.

That said, Suan Mokkh has the potential to be an ideal retreat center. You get about 1.5 solid vegan meals per day, and the simplicity of the place is part of the charm. But it really only works well for a couple of types of people — those with solid meditation experience who can guide themselves through a mostly self-led retreat, or spiritual tourists looking for a taste of the monastic lifestyle, a few Buddhist chants, and some basic mindfulness practice.

The people I would not recommend Suan Mokkh to are beginners hoping to learn Vipassana. If you’re looking for a deep, transformative experience, this place will probably leave you feeling confused and uninspired. During the entire 10-day retreat, I heard almost no clear instructions on how to actually practice Vipassana — not even basic Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing).

To honor the founder (who passed away 30 years ago), they play old recordings of his talks, translated and delivered in a scholarly style. I personally found them interesting, but beginners will find them mostly theoretical and not very practical. What’s more, there seems to be more emphasis on teaching people how to wash their blankets and mosquito nets at the end of the retreat than how to meditate. You end up with very little guidance and only vague ideas about what you’re supposed to be doing.

Like many monastic settings, this place has its fair share of eccentric characters — well-meaning but socially awkward folks who somehow end up in positions of minor authority. This adds to the retreat’s overall lack of energy and inspiration.

It’s a real shame. With space for over 200 people, Suan Mokkh could easily become one of the most powerful meditation centers in Southeast Asia. But most retreats struggle to fill even a third of that, with around 20% of participants leaving before the end. Two dorm buildings are falling apart and unused. And all this stems from one main issue — the failure of the management to offer clear, structured instruction in Vipassana, like the S.N. Goenka tradition does so effectively.

If Suan Mokkh wants to reach its potential, it needs either a skilled, charismatic teacher to lead the retreats or a professionally recorded program led by an experienced native English-speaking meditator. Or better yet, lease the space to a well-organized school like the Goenka tradition and let it fulfill its destiny as a major center for Dharma.

If you’re a serious seeker, I highly recommend starting with a Goenka-style retreat. Also check out the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Adyashanti, Aziz Kristof, Rumi, or Hridaya Yoga.

Sorry if this review offends anyone. That’s not my aim. I just think it’s more important for people to get a clear, honest picture of what this place is like than to spare anyone’s feelings. And to the management — please don’t take this personally. Instead, take it as a call to shake off the stagnation, the rigidity, and the lack of creative vision… and turn Suan Mokkh into the powerful sanctuary it was meant to be.

Realistic Review 2

The setting is absolutely beautiful. The surrounding forest and wildlife make it a really peaceful and calming place to be. The two vegetarian meals a day were actually better than I expected — simple, but tasty and satisfying.

The facilities are super bare-bones, but honestly, most people didn’t seem to mind. That kind of simplicity is part of the experience.

What did bother me was the amount of Buddhist preaching we were subjected to. There were several Dhamma talks that came off a bit aggressive, like they were trying to push the religion on us. On top of that, we had to sit through long, slow, and repetitive recorded explanations of basic Buddhist concepts — stuff that could’ve been explained in 10 minutes, but instead dragged on forever.

The meditation instructions were minimal. As a beginner, I felt kind of left in the dark and had to figure things out on my own. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for everyone — some people thrive with that kind of space — but it’s worth knowing going in.

I walked away feeling like our silence was used as an easy way to preach at us without pushback. If that doesn’t bother you, and you’re okay with a more devotional Buddhist vibe, then by all means, go — the environment alone is worth it. But if you’re more of a critical thinker or you’re mainly there to learn meditation without the religious layer, this might not be the right fit.

Vern’s Note

I have visited the retreat during off-hours a number of times. I did find two odd characters, the retreat director – a German guy, and a Thai Buddhist nun (magee) who were not anything like I expected to find. As one commented stated above, there are some odd characters who make their way here and are somehow put in charge. The place has been lacking the right energy in past years and I hope that has changed by 2025. If you want to let us know your experience this year, we’d love to hear about it. 🙂

Photo Gallery of Suan Mokkhabalaram (Suan Mokkh) Forest Monastery (Theravada Buddhist Temple)

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