I go to this every year. Food is excellent and cheap. If you go early enough, the lines aren't too bad. Might not be for you if you're impatient though. The lady with the flower in her hair has the best mango sticky rice. And she provides an option to have black sticky rice and custard too. I'm not sure which person it is, but there is one line that has amazing boat noodles too. Most people end up eating on the hill. Maybe bring a blanket to sit on if you plan on staying a while, especially if the ground is wet/moist. Parking can be kind of difficult; most park in the neighborhood around the corner. This year they provided shuttles to park in glenmont. read more

Wat Thai DC Buddhist Temple - Boat Noodles - Buddhist Temples Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

See all

Happy Thai New Year! went to the temple today, i suggest going early for the new year there's limited parking and you'll have to walk far if you don't get a good spot. it's pretty hot every year i go so dress appropriately because it is a temple. during the new year they have long lines in the hot blistering sun, but eating the food at the end of the day makes it so worth it because it's all so good! read more

Wat Thai DC Buddhist Temple - new year celebration! - Buddhist Temples Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

See all

I made it to the temple this year for the Thai New Year, Songkran Day. The parking at Glenmont Metro station with shuttle bus to the temple works out really well. We came early at 10 am in time for offering food to the monks and poured the water onto the Buddha statue. They had a songkran parade at almost 1 pm. There were many food and Thai costume tents. It is kind of hard to find a place to sit and eat. I wish they put more tent for the people to sit and eat. A mat will do too. They have an event like this every year. Hope to make it here again next year. read more

See all

Happy Thai New Year's, I finally made it to this Festival, more pad Thai and chicken satay that I could shake a stick at, was hoping for some peanut curry. was most surprised you can buy various types of small thai chili plants. This is the best combination of new year and spring festival of ever been to. I heard secondhand about this I didn't have time to be there for the folk dancing. Next year I'll bring a shaking stick. And park at the Glenmont Metro. read more

Wat Thai DC Buddhist Temple - Buddhist Temples Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

So we attended a Thai Buddhist wedding ceremony here. This isn't really a tourist attraction like some other larger Buddhist temples, but it may still warrant a visit to get a view of another culture/religion. The ceremony was quite solemn, involving gifts to monks and chanting. However, what made me like this place was the buffet after the ceremony. The food was awesome. Perhaps they might have some sort of event there every so often? The food alone would be worth it. Also, there were some kids playing traditional Asian instruments that was quite good. Nevertheless, being the bastard that I am, throughout the whole time I couldn't help but think that the main character in Tom Yum Goong (yeah... a movie that's named after a freaking soup... silliest movie ever) would bust in and kick the crap out of people. All in all, it was a happy place for a happy occasion with yummy food. If other events were anywhere near as lively as the wedding ceremony, I'd recommend checking it out. read more

Great place to celebrate the Thai New Year. And Good FOOD!! I have gone to this Wat (Temple) for about 6 years for Thai New Year. Although, I am Vietnamese I have been to numerous Thai temples since I was 12 years old, thanks to my sister-in law that is Thai. The Wat usually celebrate the Thai New Year at the Wat on that same week on Sunday and its in April. This celebration is NOT only for Asians but also for the Non-Asians that likes to explore other cultures. There are numerous food vendors selling for $5.00 and up. The food ranges from papaya salad, pickled mango, pho, lard na, grilled chicken, sweet rice in bamboo, fried bananas, and many more. It is all good. If you plan to join in on the celebration, I recommend going in the morning/ early afternoon to get a better parking in the neighborhood and its less crowded. And shorter lines. There is also thai entertainment from thai singers to the children dancing to traditional music. It's fun!! read more

I was invited by a friend to check out the festivities for the Thai New Year. They had two parking options, park at the neighboring school - Barrie or park at the Glenmont metro stop and catch the shuttle. The festival was jam packed. There were tons of food stands and a handful of vendors at this event. There was no shortage of food and some lines went faster than others. Overall the food and drink quality was pretty good - noodles, soup, bbq pork, chicken, sticky rice, crepes, papaya salad, etc. etc. The merchandise vendors didn't seem to be selling too many things that are Thai related. Performances ran behind schedule and it was hard to hear the English speakers to understand what was going on. I heard the parade was going to start at 12:30, but somehow, the people marching in the parade just suddenly showed up on stage at about 1 pm. I think they had some kind of pageant going on as well, but it was all in Thai. They had a band play some traditional Thai songs and what I believe to be some Thai pop. None of us that went speak or read Thai, so, some to a lot of the things were difficult to understand. A lot of the food stands also lacked plastic utensils for eating. I was lucky to come across some workers/volunteers sitting down for their own lunch and was able to get some disposable chopsticks from them. If you are Thai and proud of your culture, I can see how this event was a good celebration. However, if you're not Thai and don't speak the language, you'll find this event to be confusing. read more

MEDITATION WORKSHOP Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of Month - Based on 2,500-year-old tradition - Starts April 9th, 2011 - Taught by Thai monk with decades of experience - FREE! We never charge for lessons - All levels welcome Address: Wat Thai Washington, D.C. 13440, Layhill Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20906 Tel: 301-871-8661, 301-871-8660 read more

I'm not part of the Thai community but have been here two years in a row for their New Years celebration. It is festive and so fun and tasty. You see all manner of Thai food that you never see in the restaurants. It is Thai food for Thai people. Too bad New Years doesn't come to the temple more often. Do go inside the Temple to see the monks and their ceremonies. read more

As an American who lived in Thailand for ten years, I used to visit Wat Thai DC often once I returned to the US. Because I speak intermediate level Thai I got along well enough there. They are generally sincere monks and good decent lay supporters. However, I must be honest and say that Wat Thai DC is very much a Thai temple for Thai people. The focus of this temple is more social and cultural and less about Dhamma and meditation. How friendly they are with non-Thais depends a lot on which monks happen to be around at the moment. It can be an interesting place to visit, but if you're a non-Thai American looking for a place to learn about Buddhism or about meditation, this is probably not the right place for you. Some places I would recommend: http://imcw.org www.mindfulnessdc.org Or a good directory for those who don't live in the area: http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/country.php?country_id=2 read more