Retreat Registration
If you would like to participate in the 10 day retreat, you are most welcome. We hope that doing a retreat at Wat Kow Tahm will enable you to find more peace and happiness in your life. As the retreat is intensive, the minimum age is 20 years old.
Please "pre-register" early by sending us a message via the contact page or visiting the Center. No deposit is required for pre-registration for retreats.
You will receive a confirmation email informing you that you have been signed up for the retreat. If you do not receive this confirmation within one week, please write again. Sometimes we do not receive the email due to internet difficulties, or are unable to reply because your email address was incorrect and returned to us.
Those pre-registered must be at the Monastery from 1 - 2 p.m. on the day before the retreat begins in order to keep their pre-registration place (i.e. on the 12th if the retreat begins on the 13th).
As many travelers, who have signed up for a retreat, are unable to participate due to unforeseen circumstances, we do not make final bookings for people prior to registration day, nor save spaces for people after 2 p.m. on registration day. At 2 p.m., if there is still space available, we open registration to people on the waiting list. Normally, everyone who makes the effort to come on registration day, and who agrees to follow all the requirements of the Center, obtains a place in the retreat.
Those who do not come on registration day by 2 p.m. will lose their pre-registration space to those people who are here.
If for some reason you get delayed and cannot be here by 2 p.m. on registration day, email us as quickly as possible to see if we've filled up or whether there is still space.
The retreat ends at about 11 a.m. on the last day. This gives plenty of time for retreatants to catch the midday boats. For those with onward travel plans, please make sure that you will be able to stay until the retreat finishes as the retreat is considered a whole unit. Even if you leave a few hours earlier, you will miss many more benefits including valuable instruction on how to integrate your practice into your normal life and Mae Chee Ahmon's farewell talk.
Old students' retreats
Special combined old and new students' retreat
Once or twice yearly we offer a special combined for both new and old students. Old students will receive more teachings on Wise Reflection twice a day in a separate hall to the new students. To be eligible to participate in the "Special Old students' retreat", you must have completed a retreat with Steve and Rosemary more than six weeks before the retreat. Please check the retreat schedule for this retreat and email for more information.
19 day retreat
The whole 19 day retreat is only for accepted old students. The second half of the retreat focuses on the development of the Brahma Viharas: the qualities of Compassion, Lovingkindness, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity. Old students have the option of participating in the whole 19 days or joining for the second half of the retreat. New students are only accepted for the first ten days.
Please email us through the contact page for registration and more information.
20 day retreat
The 20 day retreat is for accepted old students only. Please write early (three months in advance if possible) through the contact page for more information and an application form. Please write again if you don't receive a reply.
10 day retreatants will be accepted for the first ten days if the 20 day retreat does not fill up.
Cost (subject to change)
Wat Kow Tahm International Meditation Center is on an tropical island. All basic necessities and building materials have to be transported to the island by ferry, thus making the cost of food and construction on the island much greater than on the mainland. The beautiful environment, unpolluted air, excellent teachings and sea views, are adequate reward for the slightly greater cost of living expenses.
Cost for the 10 day retreat: 5,000 Baht primarily to help in covering food related expenses (your food, teachers' and assistants' food for the season, kitchen staff stipends, kitchen expenses) and the wages of a Thai maintenance worker.
The Teachers and Western volunteer assistants do not receive any of the retreat registration fee.
Cost of the 20 day retreat: 10,000 Baht and 19 day retreat: 9,500 Baht.
The teaching is given free of charge. Donations are necessary to help with other expenses and to help support the monastery and / or the teachers so that more teaching and retreats can continue to help many others.