On a beautiful sunny, cool Monday, 19 January 2026, 25 participants from Lifelong Learning Payap visited Nirotharam Bhikkhuni Aram in Cham Tong province. It was a memorable experience for everyone. Located in a large, peaceful forested area, the aram was founded in 1995 first as a nunnery and then later turned into a Bhikkhuni Sangha under the guidance of Bhikkhuni Rung Duan Nandhayani Suwan.
Upon arrival, we were met and greeted by several Samaneri (novices). We then gathered in the main meeting hall and watched four short video clips, all in English, about the history of the aram, the visit of a Sri Lankan monk, the ordination ceremony for Samaneri, and a dhamma talk by the late abbess. Than Punnyasiri, a senior Bhikkhuni with excellent English, then answered questions posed by the participants after which we presented her and two other senior Bhikkhuni with baskets of provisions and took a group photo.
The highlight of the visit for many was the tour of the aram led by four Samaneri, all of whom were very happy to interact with us and answer our questions. We also enjoyed the peacefulness and natural as well as architectural beauty of the aram. After the tour we went to the canteen where we were served a simple, but delicious and filling vegetarian lunch.
