Thailand

Thai Buddhist Centers —————————

Temples from various Theravada schools of Thailand

2022 Update: Added brief descriptions to the temples and monasteries. The links to the photo albums have been updated (they mostly taken 2012 – 2015, some 2017, but Google Plus is defunct and all photos migrated to Google Photos)

Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery,  Thai Forest Tradition, Redwood Valley CA, 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QsKChaDuvTmmJFje7

This wholesome place in the Thai Forest Tradition has Western (non-Asian) monks practicing and occupies a large and very rural (somewhat mountainous) land donated by the late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (of the nearby City of Ten Thousand Buddhas), who hoped to enable more collaborations between Mahayana and Theravada schools.
https://www.abhayagiri.org/

Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Tennessee, Murfreesboro TN, 2014

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EP7krGCe45TYzvmh7

Georgia Meditation Center / Dhammakaya Center of Georgia, Thai Dhammakaya,  Atlanta GA, 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oNPhiAz5N3BZmvwG9

This place still has both English meditation groups and Thai chanting – of course, I’ve moved on from this blog and created AtlantaBuddhism.org for more on Atlanta area temples!

Wat Amphawan, Murfreesboro TN (Nashville area Thai temple), 2014

    

A fairly expansive mainstream Thai temple

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z3ccUUeiqCq8KfZh9

Wat Buddha Bucha, Decatur GA (Atlanta area), 2014

      

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Txczedx7xcEwKQy39

A royal (mainline) Thai temple and one of Atlanta’s oldest Buddhist institutions – more at my site here

https://georgiameditation.org/thai-buddhism-georgia.html

Wat BuddhaRaleigh , Knightdale NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/19m54U58SW9q9H4F8

Another mainline (royal / Thai government supported) temple, near Raleigh-Durham North Carolina.

Wat Thai Washington DC, Thai Theravada, Silver Spring MD, 2011-2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7otbyihLykZU8X7w8

Nominally the chief Thai temple in the United States, though Wat Nawamintararachutis (or Wat NMR for short) between Boston and Providence has the title of largest Thai temple building in the US.

Wat Phramahajanaka, Griffin GA (Atlanta area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xcRseDHv7uw2CqZv7

Wat Prazanimit, Charlotte NC, 2014 (New Temple planned)

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/b6Y8UFqXovWbVs4z9

There is a blog that lists this as a Lao temple as well, and from Google Maps streetview, as of 2021 it does not appear a new temple has been built there.

Wat Yarn Rangsee, Thai Theravada, Sterling VA, 2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uRkK8H7XVgWR7TjLA

The other mainline Thai temple in the greater DC / DMV area (Wat Yarn is on the Virginia side, Wat Thai is on the Maryland side).

Wat Buddhapradeep, (South San Francisco) San Bruno CA, 2015

This temple, and the one below, are both (in)famous for selling – erm sorry, giving away food (after you make a donation) on weekends – the food fair does serve quite authentic Thai cuisine! You can find more on Bay Area at www.sfzen.org

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i1TtTA4dZCn953rRA

Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley CA, 2015

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YZzP3fe9Qz3Hzznd8

Wat Buddhamongkolnimit, Thai Buddhist Temple and Cultural Center in Albuquerque NM, 2017:

https://goo.gl/photos/TzffEzpQ2KT8EFqh7

(Thai) Buddhist Center of New Mexico, in Albuquerque NM, 2017:

  

https://goo.gl/photos/ABXPaEDsdNdZ3MpdA

I’m not sure which one came first, but there are at least two Thai Buddhist temples in Albuquerque – though the Santa Fe and New Mexico area is more renowned for Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.