Thai Maechi Institute

(under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen)

Maechi are white robed women who live some form of homeless monastic life in pursuit of spiritual growth and realization. Due to the limitations of a patriarchal society and sexist monastic hierarchy, many maechi are given little support and recognition. Yet they provide many of the services that keep monasteries running: cleaning, cooking, sewing robes, overseeing nursery schools, advising lay people, and overseeing various activities. Nonetheless, they are seen as inferior to the monks and not allowed to teach publicly in many monasteries.
For these reasons, many maechi are starting nunneries independent of monasteries. In them, they demonstrate that maechi have all the capabilities of monks: study, teaching, chanting, and administration.
Teenage girls can become maechi and are not formally distinguished from their older sisters (as novices monks are distinguished from their sisters). Some nunneries provide schools for these young maechi, some of whom come from very poor families and enter the nunhood in search of an education. In prostitution plagued northern Thailand, this is an excellent way to protect girls from the flesh trade.
We have had a few inquiries from foreigners about being a Maechi in Siam. Some of my responses are collected here. Please remember that these are the views of an American monk and may not reflect the opinions of Thai Maechis.

The Thai Maechi Institute was formed to provide a forum for Maechi from all over Thailand to work for their mutual well-being and spiritual growth, as well as for Buddhism in general. The Institute has an active Secretariat that serves its sisters in various ways, especially regarding the education of young maechi.
The Thai Maechi Institute is under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen and has its office in Wat Boworn Niwes, the temple of the current Supreme Patriarch of Siam.

Wat Panompanawas, Chachoengsao (East)

Wat Dhammanimitta, Cholburi (East)

Bangkok's English language dailies regularly carry articles on Buddhism, including the Maechi. We have collected the electronic versions of as many as possible. Click here to see a list of the available articles from the Bangkok Post and The Nation.