The Northern Vipassana International Meditation Center is the original International Department of Wat Chom Tong, was established by Thanat & Kathryn Chindaporn in 1996 and opened in the year 2000, under the direction of their teacher & mentor, one of Thailand’s most highly revered meditation masters, The Most Venerable Chao Khun Phra Prom Mongkol Vi (The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo). 

Kathryn & Thanat Chindaporn, both senior disciples practicing & training with The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong since the mid-1980’s, created the International Vipassana Meditation Center with The Most Venerable Ajarn’s inspired instructions, “The Dhamma will spread all around the world from here!”

Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation courses are being held on a continual basis ever since.

Please contact us to reserve your place.

---

The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo

One of the most highly revered meditation masters of Northern Thailand, born in 1923, The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong studied with many of the Great Buddhist Masters of the 20th century, including Kruba Srivijaya, Kruba Jayavongsa, Kruba Prommacakka, Kruba Khaopi, of Chiang Mai Province.

And the Great Vipassana Masters in Wat Mahadhat, Somdej Phra Buddhacariya (Phra Pimoladhamma Assabha Maha Thera) and Chao Khun Dhammadhiraraja Mahamuni (Jodok P.9), as well as the great Burmese Masters, Mahasi Sayadaw (Agga Maha Pandita) Teacher of the Satipatthana Vipassana Kammatthana method and Bhadantacariya Assabha Maha Thera of Wat Vivekasom, and many more Great Elders.

The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong taught Satipatthana Vipassana in Thailand and worldwide for over 60 years.  He passed away in 2019 at age 96.

---

Thanat Chindaporn

Founding Teacher Thanat Chindaporn, a senior disciple of The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo, teacher of Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Thailand and Founder & Director of the Northern Vipassana International Meditation Center at Wat Phradhatu Sri Chom Tong which was established in 2000. 

He studied Vipassana Meditation with Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo beginning in the mid 1980’s and together with his wife, Kathryn, he began teacher training with Venerable Luangpoh Banyat Akkayano, the late director of the Northern Insight Meditation Center at Wat Ram Poeng (Tapotaram), Chiang Mai.

In 1988 he and his wife, Kathryn, under the direction of The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong, began assisting in the meditation courses at Wat Ram Poeng and travelled to give courses in Mexico, and later both travelling along to assist The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong in giving courses and establishing centers in various places, such as America, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Israel, Russia and numerous pilgrimage courses in the Holy Sites of India & Nepal. (For more information check out our branches).

Thanat, an avid photographer, specialized in portraits of many of Northern Thailand’s most revered meditation masters and elder monks, as well as archiving the ancient Buddhist cultural traditions of Northern Thailand in audio, visual, film & digital media.

In 2004, Thanat received Thailand’s Benefactor of Buddhism Award, the Golden Pillar of Dhamma Sema Dhammacakka Award, for teaching Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation and the Practice of Buddha-Dhamma worldwide. Please see the Memorial page for Ajarn Thanat Chindaporn.

---

Kathryn Chindaporn

Kathryn Chindaporn, is a senior disciple of Phra Prommamongkol (The Most Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo), practicing Satipatthana Vipassana Kammatthana under his guidance since 1986.

She began teaching Vipassana Meditation over 30 years ago, teaching meditation in Thailand and internationally with her husband, Thanat Chindaporn, and together conducting courses in North America, Hawaii, Europe, Israel and Asia since 1988. 

Kathryn was guest lecturer at the Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya Buddhist University in Chiang Mai in 1999.    

Since 1989 she has interpreted for Thai meditation masters, published five Thai-English Buddhist translations and appeared as guest speaker and interpreter on Thai and Mexican television and radio. In 2000, Kathryn received the Benefactor of Buddhism Award of Chiang Mai Province and the Sema Dhammacakka in Recognition of International Dissemination of Buddhism, the latter conferred by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand.

Kathryn is a teacher of Satipatthana Vipassana Meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Thailand and Co-Founder and Director of the Northern Vipassana International Meditation Center Wat Phradhatu Sri Chom Tong.

---

Assistant Teachers

Teachers at the International Department, Northern Vipassana Meditation Center are authorized to teach Vipassana Meditation based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught by the Most Venerable Ajarn Tong Sirimangalo.

The teachers at our Center are there to support you daily. Both male and female teachers are available.

Please learn more about our courses. Read reviews about us on Google Maps. Or contact us. We look forward to welcoming you!

---

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Mail