Sikruadong Phra Phalek, a monk from Thailand, began his study journey in Vietnam by enrolling in Vietnamese language courses for foreigners around nine years ago.

Since then, he has progressed through a bachelor’s degree and is now approaching the end of his master’s program in Vietnamese studies.

The 33-year-old monk impressed many locals with his fluent Vietnamese, including Dr. Nguyen Huynh Lam, deputy dean of the faculty of Vietnamese studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMUSSH).

Lam, who taught Sikruadong’s undergraduate class from 2017 to 2020, recalled his surprise at seeing a foreign monk in the classroom.

The lecturer elaborated that a large number of Vietnamese monks and international students have been studying at HCMUSSH, but the presence of a foreign monk is a rare instance.

Sikruadong’s cohort included approximately 40 students, mostly from South Korea, with him as the only Thai member along with one Japanese student. 

His diligence set this Thai monk apart, as he often assisted classmates with challenging Vietnamese terms.

Lam went on to say that most lecturers have great regard for Sikruadong, who Lam said never missed a class, took diligent notes, and dedicated time to every assignment.

Sikruadong hails from Wat Phra Dhammakaya, a large pagoda in northern Bangkok, Thailand.

In 2015, the Wat Phra Dhammakaya management board unveiled its plan to have a Vietnamese-speaking monk to strengthen ties with Vietnamese Buddhists and pagodas.

While monks already knew neighboring languages like Lao, Khmer, and Burmese, none spoke Vietnamese. 

Sikruadong volunteered and began learning the Vietnamese language at Phap Luan Pagoda in Hue City, the capital of Thua Thien-Hue Province in central Vietnam.

Subsequently, he moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 2016 to participate in Vietnamese language courses for foreigners at HCMUSSH.

With a limited number of Thai-to-Vietnamese learning materials, Sikruadong focused on listening and observing how people around him spoke Vietnamese.

He then analyzed common words and their meaning.

After mastering the basics, the monk enrolled in a Vietnamese studies bachelor’s program from 2017 to 2020, with his favorite subjects being Vietnamese law and grammar.

He explained that studying the law helped him better understand Vietnamese society, while learning the grammar enabled him to structure Vietnamese sentences accurately.

Graduating with honors, Sikruadong returned to Thailand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he later came back to Vietnam in 2022 for a master’s program in Vietnamese studies.

His master’s thesis focuses on the differences in ordination ceremonies between Theravada pagodas in Vietnam and Thailand, drawing on extensive research conducted in Vietnamese pagodas.

Sikruadong currently resides at Pho Minh Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City’s Go Vap District, where he balances his studies with involvement in pagoda activities and cultural exchanges between Thai and Vietnamese pagodas.

On weekends, he teaches free Thai language classes to children of Buddhist followers.

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