Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep stands on the slope of Doi Suthep, about 15 km from the centre of Chiang Mai. Tradition dates its first chedi to 1383 and tells of a relic carried up the mountain by a white elephant, which stopped at this spot; the story exists in several versions. It is a working temple and a place of worship as well as one of northern Thailand’s best-known landmarks.

Within the temple is the International Buddhism Center, also called the Doi Suthep Vipassana Meditation Center. Its website describes the practice as satipaṭṭhāna vipassana following the teaching of Mahasi Sayadaw, passed down through Ajahn Tong Sirimangalo. Sitting meditation takes the rise and fall of the abdomen as its main object, walking meditation the movement of the foot, and each session begins with mindful prostration.

The centre says instruction is given in English or Thai, depending on the group. Meditators keep eight precepts, meet a teacher individually each day, and join a Dhamma talk and chanting. A beginners’ course lasts about three weeks, and those who have completed one can return for ten-day courses.

The centre’s website does not publish a dated course calendar, so write to the centre before you travel and ask what is running.