Started in 2001
Began as a branch of Mae Chaem Pariyatti School, then became Wat Ban Khun Triam Phutthasat School on 10 January 2002.
About Wat Ban Khun
From a village temple to a mountain centre for Buddhism and education
A source-checked account of the temple, its abbot, monastic school, novices and sacred architecture.
Temple history
A community of faith since 1927
Wat Ban Khun is a Mahanikaya community temple at 129 Moo 3, Bo Luang, Hot District, Chiang Mai. Published records trace its founding to 1927 through Phra Panya Chanma, Nai Intha and Nai Som, on an original four-rai, one-ngan site that later developed into a wider religious and educational campus.
A published monastic-education history records that the temple received its royal boundary grant on 23 February 1999. Its grounds are organised into a sacred worship zone, a Dhamma and teaching zone, and private monastic residences.
References: 2026 temple registry · school history publication
1927
Founded
100003680516
Temple registry ID
21 monks
2026 resident monks
Grades 7–12
School levels
Each figure includes its date and definition so that records from different periods are not combined.
Milestones
Nearly a century of development
Key events compiled from temple records, government documents and the school's historical publication.
- 1927
Wat Ban Khun was founded through the faith of the Ban Khun community.
- 1995
Phra Athikan Wichan Iddhinako began serving as abbot.
- 1999
The temple received its royal boundary grant on 23 February.
- 2002
Wat Ban Khun Triam Phutthasat School was officially established.
- 2007
Upper-secondary study opened; the temple was named Chiang Mai provincial meditation centre no. 5.
- 2015
Buddha relics were enshrined at Sawan Chedi.
- 2022
The abbot received the royal ecclesiastical title Phra Wachirakitsophon.
- 2025
The school received an official visit and quality-assurance supervision.
The abbot
Phra Wachirakitsophon (Wichan Iddhinako)
Abbot of Wat Ban Khun · Hot District ecclesiastical chief
The school's history records that he began serving as abbot in 1995. He holds Nak Tham Ek and a master's degree in educational administration. His work has focused on developing the temple and widening access to general, Dhamma and Pali education for young people from mountain communities.
In an earlier interview, he recalled arriving when the temple had no resident monks and only four novices. Community outreach and novice ordination programmes then became the foundation of the monastic school.
On 15 November 2022, the Royal Gazette recorded his elevation from Phra Khru Sangwon Sitthichot to the royal ecclesiastical title Phra Wachirakitsophon.
Monastic school
Wat Ban Khun Triam Phutthasat School
Bringing general education, monastic discipline and Pali study together in one school.
Grades 7–12
General education alongside Nak Tham and Pali; upper-secondary study was authorised in 2007.
Educational purpose
Knowledge for the world, wisdom in Dhamma and leadership in goodness, guided by perseverance.
Verified status and figures
- Active school: Chiang Mai's Buddhist office visited in January and conducted quality-assurance supervision in July 2025.
- 2020 school-year study: An academic study reported 175 students, 2 monastic teachers, 12 lay teachers and 3 staff. These are historical, not current, figures.
- Educational network: Official supervision places the school within General Education Area 5 for Phrapariyattidhamma schools.
2025 official visit · quality supervision · 2024 academic study
Study and practice
Study, practice and service
Dhamma studies
Nak Tham and Pali studies build foundations in monastic discipline and scriptural language.
Pali school
The historical publication records its 2015 appointment as Chiang Mai's first provincial Pali school.
Meditation centre
Selected as Chiang Mai provincial meditation centre no. 5 in 2007.
Community service
Moral training, Buddhist-day practice, summer ordination and outreach to mountain communities.
Appointments and awards in this section follow the school's 2020 historical publication. Open publication
Monks and novices
Current residence, school statistics and exam results—clearly separated
Different registers count people for different purposes, so figures from different years are never added together.
Resident monks, 2026
Latest accessible temple registry, updated 12 August 2026.
Students in 2020
A historical academic figure, not the current novice population.
Nak Tham Ek passes, 2025
One monk and 27 novices affiliated with Wat Ban Khun.
Pali 1–2 passes, 2021
Wat Ban Khun novices listed for certificates in the Northern Sangha region.
Current novice-count note: No public register currently states the total number of resident novices. A 26 July 2026 post identifies 11 novices from Ban Mae Lu studying at Wat Ban Khun; that is one cohort, not a temple-wide total. View source post
Official examination record
Novices who passed Nak Tham Ek in 2025
This list contains the 27 novices explicitly affiliated with Wat Ban Khun, Hot District, in the Mae Kong Dhamma examination record. One affiliated monk, Phra Praphan Paññādīpo Panreo, also passed. It is an exam record, not a current residency register.
- 1ฐศิพงษ์ ฟ้ากุศล
- 2สมคิด สิริกันยากร
- 3วิสัยทัศน์ อินกร
- 4อิสระ ใจสดใส
- 5พิชัย เคียงอมร
- 6นภัสกร มาศแท้
- 7พุทธศรีน์ ปัญญาชื่นชม
- 8จิรกิตติ์ ปรีชาไพร
- 9คณาธิป สุดี
- 10บฤงคพ ไพโรจน์สถิตธาดา
- 11ชนวีร์ เบญญาบุษกร
- 12กวิน มิตรสาธิต
- 13กรินทร์ ศรีใบหนา
- 14วรากร นำสม
- 15สุรชัย อำรุงสิงขร
- 16ภีรดล โทเล
- 17ศตวีร์ ปู่เงิน
- 18ชัชวาล คำน้อย
- 19จิระกิตติ์ ใจตุ้ย
- 20สิทธิศักดิ์ พนาสุขสันติ
- 21จารุวิทย์ อรัญอร่าม
- 22ทรงพร ปรีชาไพร
- 23สิงวัฒ ผกามาศสุธี
- 24พิษณุ ใต้เงาสน
- 25นันทพงศ์ มนต์มุติตา
- 26ทวีรัชต์ หารินไสล
- 27สุชาติ ทูเชอ
Pali passes, 2016–2020
The school history reports 153 passes across all Pali levels over five years.
2024 milestone
Phra Maha Ekachai Bhaddhadhammo became the school's first Pali grade 9 graduate.
Latest Nak Tham Ek results
The official result confirms continuity in the school's Dhamma education.
Sacred architecture
Sawan Chedi, the ordination hall and Dhamma spaces
Real images from the temple archive and historical sources; people are shown in full aspect ratio to avoid cropping faces.
Worship zone
Centred on the white-and-red Lanna ordination hall used for formal Sangha rites.
Dhamma and vihara zone
Vihara, assembly and teaching spaces support chanting, meditation, training and monastic study.
Monastic residences
Monastic residences, infirmary, library, dining hall and kitchen form the private living zone.
relic enshrinement · Sawan Chedi gallery · Lanna hall history · 2021 vihara foundation ceremony
Frequently asked questions
Essential information for visitors
Where is Wat Ban Khun?
The temple is at 129 Moo 3, Bo Luang, Hot District, Chiang Mai 50240, Thailand, at 18.106749, 98.368739.
Who is the current abbot?
The current abbot is Phra Wachirakitsophon (Wichan Iddhinako), who also serves as the Hot District ecclesiastical chief.
What does the temple school teach?
Wat Ban Khun Triam Phutthasat School teaches grades 7–12 alongside Nak Tham and Pali studies.
How many monks and novices live at the temple?
The 2026 registry records 21 resident monks. No verified public register gives a current total for novices, so this page presents dated school and examination figures instead of estimating.
Sources and dates
This page was reviewed on 14 August 2026. Government records are prioritised; historical sources are dated and are not presented as current facts without supporting evidence.
- 1.Royal Gazette: ecclesiastical title, 2022
- 2.2026 temple registry: classification, abbot and resident monks
- 3.2020 commemorative publication: temple and school history, awards and statistics
- 4.Chiang Mai Buddhist office: school visit, 2025
- 5.Chiang Mai Buddhist office: quality supervision, 2025
- 6.MCU Haripunchai Review, 2024: school data
- 7.Mae Kong Dhamma: Nak Tham Ek results, 2025
- 8.National Office of Buddhism: Pali 1–2 passes, 2021
- 9.DMC Media: Phramongkolthepmuni Vihara foundation ceremony, 2021