Thai Buddhist Temples (Wats) in Atlanta, Augusta, and around Georgia
Happy Thailand New Year / Songkran! Photos from local Thai Buddhist monasteries such as Wat Buddha Bucha (Decatur), Wat Phramahajanaka (Griffin), Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Dunwoody), Wat Santidham (Augusta), and Wat Hathainares (Waycross)!
Happy Thailand New Year / Songkran! Photos from local Thai Buddhist monasteries such as Wat Buddha Bucha (Decatur), Wat Phramahajanaka (Griffin), Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Dunwoody), Wat Santidham (Augusta), and Wat Hathainares (Waycross)!
ขอเชิญพี่น้องร่วมพิธีทำบุญวันสงกรานต์ ที่วัดพุทธบูชา
วันอาทิตย์ที่ X เมษายน 2568
Songkran - 2025 Thai New Year Celebration - Atlanta Thai Water Festival will be Sunday April X at Wat Buddha Bucha Thai Buddhist Temple in Decatur, Georgia
Thanks to the Thai Association of Georgia and the Royal Thai Embassy
วันอาทิตย์ที่ X เมษายน 2568
Songkran - 2025 Thai New Year Celebration - Atlanta Thai Water Festival will be Sunday April X at Wat Buddha Bucha Thai Buddhist Temple in Decatur, Georgia
Thanks to the Thai Association of Georgia and the Royal Thai Embassy
Southeast Asian New Year 2025 Celebrations
Free admission
-- SONGKRAN (Thai New Year)
April – Wat Buddha Bucha / Thai Association of Georgia
3094 Rainbow Drive, Decatur GA 30034
April TBD – Wat Phramahajanaka
498 Steele Rd, Griffin GA 30223
April – Wat Santidham
3917 Old Waynesboro Road, Augusta GA 30906
-- KHMER NEW YEAR (Cambodian American Association of Georgia)
April – Wat Sovannkiri
2864 Centerville Hwy, Snellville GA 30078
April – Wat Tejavant
7025 Bryce Rd, Riverdale GA 30296
April – Wat Khmer Georgia (Cambodian Buddhist Temple of GA)
6533 Rock Springs Rd, Lithonia GA 30038
April – Wat Trairatanaram
5330 Riverdale Rd, College Park GA 30349
April 20-21 – Wat Dhammajothikaram
1138 Stagecoach Rd, Stockbridge GA 30281
-- Sri Lankan New Year
April – Georgia Buddhist Vihara
3153 Miller Road, Stonecrest GA 30038
-- Laotian New Year (Laotian American Society of Georgia) 2025
note: some Lao groups may charge a small admission fee or parking fee
April - Wat Lao Buddhamoongcoon
2325 Hillside Road, Riverdale, GA 30296
April – Wat Lao Buddha Khanti
4032 Zoar Church Rd, Snellville GA 30039
April - Wat Lao Buddha Phothisaram
4433 E Conley Rd, Conley, GA 30288
May - Wat Lao Buddharam Khambouneheuan
136 Hamby Mtn Pk Dr, Baldwin GA 30511
May - Wat Lao Buddha Sattha Dhamma
241 Buchannan Rd, Alto, GA 30510
-- THINGYAN (Burmese New Year)
April - Myanmar Buddhist Association of Georgia
Free admission
-- SONGKRAN (Thai New Year)
April – Wat Buddha Bucha / Thai Association of Georgia
3094 Rainbow Drive, Decatur GA 30034
April TBD – Wat Phramahajanaka
498 Steele Rd, Griffin GA 30223
April – Wat Santidham
3917 Old Waynesboro Road, Augusta GA 30906
-- KHMER NEW YEAR (Cambodian American Association of Georgia)
April – Wat Sovannkiri
2864 Centerville Hwy, Snellville GA 30078
April – Wat Tejavant
7025 Bryce Rd, Riverdale GA 30296
April – Wat Khmer Georgia (Cambodian Buddhist Temple of GA)
6533 Rock Springs Rd, Lithonia GA 30038
April – Wat Trairatanaram
5330 Riverdale Rd, College Park GA 30349
April 20-21 – Wat Dhammajothikaram
1138 Stagecoach Rd, Stockbridge GA 30281
-- Sri Lankan New Year
April – Georgia Buddhist Vihara
3153 Miller Road, Stonecrest GA 30038
-- Laotian New Year (Laotian American Society of Georgia) 2025
note: some Lao groups may charge a small admission fee or parking fee
April - Wat Lao Buddhamoongcoon
2325 Hillside Road, Riverdale, GA 30296
April – Wat Lao Buddha Khanti
4032 Zoar Church Rd, Snellville GA 30039
April - Wat Lao Buddha Phothisaram
4433 E Conley Rd, Conley, GA 30288
May - Wat Lao Buddharam Khambouneheuan
136 Hamby Mtn Pk Dr, Baldwin GA 30511
May - Wat Lao Buddha Sattha Dhamma
241 Buchannan Rd, Alto, GA 30510
-- THINGYAN (Burmese New Year)
April - Myanmar Buddhist Association of Georgia
Thai Buddhist Temples in Georgia, a listing:
Wat Buddhabucha วัดพุทธบูชา
3094 Rainbow Drive, Decatur GA 30034
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wat-Buddha-Bucha-Foundation-Inc/115746038445820
One of the oldest Buddhist temples in Atlanta (founded in 1983), Wat Buddha Bucha is where the majority of the Thai Association of Georgia (TAG) attend, and supported by the Thailand king and government, as the Royal Thai Embassy to the USA in Washington DC sends representatives to perform consular functions here several times a year. They host several annual events including Songkran (Thai New Year Festival) with many food booths, cultural shows, and vendors; and ceremonies on Vesak, Rains Retreat, "Buddhist Lent", Kathina, Magha Puja, Sangha Day, and other holidays. Wat Buddha Bucha has chaired the Council of Thai Bhikkhus in the USA (the association of Thai temples and monks in America) previously as well, in preserving very traditional Thai Buddhist culture.
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Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Georgia Meditation Circle) วัดพระธรรมกาย
4522 Tilly Mill Rd, Atlanta GA 30075
https://www.facebook.com/watphradhammakaya.georgia
English: https://meditationcircle.org/
Part of the impressive Dhammakaya International network, this branch of Theravada Buddhism sometimes stirs mild controversy in Thailand for its nontraditional "new-age" approaches, but is the only Thai temple in the state to feature regular events in English as well as in Thai.
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Wat Phramahajanaka วัดพระมหาชนก บ้านพลังเพียร
แดนบุญ แดนธรรม ในมลรัฐจอร์เจีย ประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา
498 Steele Rd, Griffin, GA 30223
www.watphramahajanaka.org
Facebook
Founded in 2006 and now situated on 19 acres of land in rural Georgia about an hour south of Atlanta, this retreat center and monastery provides an ideal place to practice meditation for Thai Buddhists, lay persons and monastics alike.
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Wat Santidham วัดสันติธรรม
3917 Old Waynesboro Road, Augusta, GA 30906
www.facebook.com/WatSantidham
The Thai Buddhist temple in Augusta Georgia, Wat Santidham is similar to Wat Buddha Bucha in lineage and conservative tradition of Theravada Buddhism.
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Wat Hathainares วัดหทัยนเรศวร์ เวย์ครอสส์ จอร์เจีย
7398 Swamp Road, Waycross, Georgia 31503
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wat-Hathainares-7398-Swamp-Road-Waycross-Georgia-31503/311577532339721
This Thai Buddhist temple in rural Southeast Georgia is about 1.5 hrs from Jacksonville Florida and an hour from Brunswick GA.
Wat Buddhabucha วัดพุทธบูชา
3094 Rainbow Drive, Decatur GA 30034
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wat-Buddha-Bucha-Foundation-Inc/115746038445820
One of the oldest Buddhist temples in Atlanta (founded in 1983), Wat Buddha Bucha is where the majority of the Thai Association of Georgia (TAG) attend, and supported by the Thailand king and government, as the Royal Thai Embassy to the USA in Washington DC sends representatives to perform consular functions here several times a year. They host several annual events including Songkran (Thai New Year Festival) with many food booths, cultural shows, and vendors; and ceremonies on Vesak, Rains Retreat, "Buddhist Lent", Kathina, Magha Puja, Sangha Day, and other holidays. Wat Buddha Bucha has chaired the Council of Thai Bhikkhus in the USA (the association of Thai temples and monks in America) previously as well, in preserving very traditional Thai Buddhist culture.
-
Wat Phra Dhammakaya (Georgia Meditation Circle) วัดพระธรรมกาย
4522 Tilly Mill Rd, Atlanta GA 30075
https://www.facebook.com/watphradhammakaya.georgia
English: https://meditationcircle.org/
Part of the impressive Dhammakaya International network, this branch of Theravada Buddhism sometimes stirs mild controversy in Thailand for its nontraditional "new-age" approaches, but is the only Thai temple in the state to feature regular events in English as well as in Thai.
-
Wat Phramahajanaka วัดพระมหาชนก บ้านพลังเพียร
แดนบุญ แดนธรรม ในมลรัฐจอร์เจีย ประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา
498 Steele Rd, Griffin, GA 30223
www.watphramahajanaka.org
Founded in 2006 and now situated on 19 acres of land in rural Georgia about an hour south of Atlanta, this retreat center and monastery provides an ideal place to practice meditation for Thai Buddhists, lay persons and monastics alike.
-
Wat Santidham วัดสันติธรรม
3917 Old Waynesboro Road, Augusta, GA 30906
www.facebook.com/WatSantidham
The Thai Buddhist temple in Augusta Georgia, Wat Santidham is similar to Wat Buddha Bucha in lineage and conservative tradition of Theravada Buddhism.
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Wat Hathainares วัดหทัยนเรศวร์ เวย์ครอสส์ จอร์เจีย
7398 Swamp Road, Waycross, Georgia 31503
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wat-Hathainares-7398-Swamp-Road-Waycross-Georgia-31503/311577532339721
This Thai Buddhist temple in rural Southeast Georgia is about 1.5 hrs from Jacksonville Florida and an hour from Brunswick GA.
Meditation in the Thai Forest Tradition
Most of the Thai temples do not offer any activities in English.
However, the Thai Forest Tradition, such as with esteemed meditator Ajahn Chah, has attracted many Westerners with meditation teachings in English.
American and Canadian Western monks at Abhayagiri Forest Monastery lead daily guided meditation and Dhamma talks, alms round, and pujas, now online via YouTube channel including morning and evening chantings in Pali and English!
Abhayagiri Forest Monastery is a rural complex donated by the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a sign of solidarity between the Mahayana and Theravada traditions in northern California.
www.abhayagiri.org
Wat Metta Forest Monastery in Southern California is another one of the leading Theravada meditation centers with Western monks in the US:
watmetta.org
However, the Thai Forest Tradition, such as with esteemed meditator Ajahn Chah, has attracted many Westerners with meditation teachings in English.
American and Canadian Western monks at Abhayagiri Forest Monastery lead daily guided meditation and Dhamma talks, alms round, and pujas, now online via YouTube channel including morning and evening chantings in Pali and English!
Abhayagiri Forest Monastery is a rural complex donated by the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a sign of solidarity between the Mahayana and Theravada traditions in northern California.
www.abhayagiri.org
Wat Metta Forest Monastery in Southern California is another one of the leading Theravada meditation centers with Western monks in the US:
watmetta.org
