Santi Forest Monastery

Santi Forest Monastery stands in Kampung Sungai Tiram, in the Ulu Tiram area of Johor. It is an active Buddhist monastery in the Theravada tradition and the Dhammayuttika Forest tradition. The community’s work centres on monastic training, meditation and teaching lay practitioners; this is a place of practice rather than a museum or leisure attraction, so visitors should keep quiet and respect local guidance.

The monastery’s history began in the late 1990s, when Ajaan Keng returned to Malaysia and Singapore after years of practice abroad and sought a quiet place for meditation. According to the monastery’s own account, land at Sungai Tiram was offered for Buddhist practice. The early community settled among oil-palm plantations and dense vegetation, and the organisation was formally established in 2000. Shrine halls were later built for chanting, meditation, food offerings and ceremonies. A consecrated ordination hall, or sima, was completed in 2012. The monastery continues to support ordination and the Forest tradition.

An Asoka Pillar near the entrance commemorates the spread of Buddhism and provides a distinctive landmark. The address is Lot 1413, Jalan Ponorogo, Kampung Sungai Tiram, Ulu Tiram, Johor. Reaching the monastery is easiest by car or taxi from Johor Bahru; check the route and visitor arrangements with the community before travelling. Follow instructions on site and ask before photographing people.

Address

Lot 1413, Jalan Ponorogo, Kampung Sungai Tiram, 81800 Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia

Website

Website

On the map