Any Vajrayana practitioners in Bangkok?

The Wat Phra Singh temple near Khao San has a small Vajrayana community that meets on Saturday afternoons. They're mostly Thai but welcome English speakers and the abbot speaks good English. It's a lot less formal than the Sukhumvit spots and you can join their evening puja around 5pm if you just show up. For Theravada in English, Wat Mahathat near the Grand Palace has a daily meditation session at 7am with English instructions, no booking needed.

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yeah there's a small but active vajrayana scene here. the tibetan buddhist centre off sukhumvit soi 22 does sessions in english on sundays, mostly gelug but open to all. for nyingma specifically, check out the palyul sangha that meets at the dharamshala near thong lo, they have a resident lama who does weekend teachings in english. both spots are donation based, just show up 10 mins early

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There's a small Nyingma study group that meets at the Vipassana Dhura meditation center on Soi Rang Nam, near the Victory Monument BTS. They do a weekly practice session in English on Thursday evenings around 7pm, focusing on Dzogchen teachings. It's a bit off the beaten path compared to the Sukhumvit groups, but the teacher there studied directly with Chatral Rinpoche. The center itself is a quiet compound with a meditation hall and dormitory, so it feels more like a retreat space than a city temple.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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