All services / Buddhist merit & blessings
House or shop blessing
ทำบุญบ้านหรือเปิดร้าน
A house or shop blessing has several parts: monks, an altar, a ceremony master, offerings and a meal that ends by noon. Someone else lines them up.
Today's price ฿8,000
- 5, 7 or 9Monks usually invited: an odd number thailandfoundation.or.th
- 12:00The time the monks' lunch ends; monks do not eat after noon thailandfoundation.or.th
- ฿18,000Starting price of one Bangkok organiser's ceremony for nine monks, with their meal fastwork.co
- 5,489Threads on Pantip that mention inviting monks (นิมนต์พระ) pantip.com
Try it
What a blessing costs
How it goes
- Day and place settledYou, with Hongdam · Before the monks are invited
- Nine monks invitedHongdam · Before the day
- Altar, seats and ceremony master arrangedHongdam · Before the day
- Monks' food, offerings, envelopes and guests' food, charged at costHongdam and the vendors · Before the day
- A translator at the ceremonyHongdam · On the day
- The ceremony: chanting, lunch for the monks, holy waterThe monks, you and your guests · In the morning; lunch ends by noon
- Day and place settledYou, with Hongdam · Before the monks are invited
- Nine monks invitedHongdam · Before the day
- Altar, seats and ceremony master arrangedHongdam · Before the day
- Monks' food, offerings, envelopes and guests' food, charged at costHongdam and the vendors · Before the day
- A translator at the ceremonyHongdam · On the day
- The ceremony: chanting, lunch for the monks, holy waterThe monks, you and your guests · In the morning; lunch ends by noon
What you get
- House or shop blessing฿8,000We invite nine monks and arrange the ceremony: the person who leads it, the altar table, seats and a translator. Monks' food, gifts for the monks, donation envelopes and guests' food are charged at the price we pay.
What others charge
| Ceremony for nine monks: equipment, ceremony master, monk pick-up and drop-off, garland and sangkhathan set, no meal (one Bangkok organiser) | ฿12,000 (Bangkok area; an extra travel charge elsewhere) fastwork.co |
|---|---|
| The same with the monks' meal; with a buffet for 11 guests and tent tables (same organiser) | ฿18,000; ฿22,000 fastwork.co |
| Meal for the monks from a Chiang Mai caterer: a khantoke tray per monk, or a boxed meal | From ฿370 a tray; boxed ฿130 (3 dishes) or ฿170 (4 dishes, water) wiangpingcatering.com |
| Rental from a Chiang Mai caterer, for one job of 1–2 days: a round table with 10 chairs, a tent 3 × 3 m, a tent 4 × 8 m | Table set ฿200–500; tent ฿700–900; large tent ฿1,500; delivery and set-up free from ฿1,000 wiangpingcatering.com |
| Offerings (sangkhathan set and the monks' envelope) for a medium event: a Bangkok caterer's estimate | ฿1,000–5,000 setandservecatering.com |
| One Bangkok household's bill in 2020: 5 monks and 40 guests | About ฿14,000: sangkhathan set ฿1,500, envelope ฿3,000, holy thread and anointing kit ฿89, helper ฿1,000, food and drink ฿8,436 sanook.com |
| Hongdam · House or shop blessing | ฿8,000 |
Useful facts
- A house blessing invites an odd number of monks, such as 5, 7 or 9. The host calls the temple first to confirm the date and the number of monks. thailandfoundation.or.th
- The monks' lunch is held in the daytime, at about 11:00, and ends by 12:00. Theravada monks may not eat after noon. thailandfoundation.or.th
- The order: the monks arrive and chant; the host offers lunch to the Buddha statue and the monks; after the meal the host may present flowers, incense, candles or a sangkhathan set; the monks chant again and sanctify the space with holy water. thailandfoundation.or.th
- The host decorates the building with holy thread (sai sin) and circles it round a Buddha statue and the monks' seats. The monks write yantra in powder and press gold leaf at significant places, including on or above the front door. thailandfoundation.or.th
- In the North, the host also hires a ceremonial master to lead the proceedings. Business owners may hold the ceremony for new offices. thailandfoundation.or.th
- Chiang Mai has 0.7 rainy days in January and 20.9 in August, on average over 1981–2015. chiangmai.net
- Chiang Mai's burning season runs roughly February to April, with March the worst month. The rains arrive in May, and open burning is banned outside designated zones from 1 January to 31 May 2026. thailandstarterkit.com
What people ask
How many monks do I invite?
The Thailand Foundation names an odd number, such as 5, 7 or 9. The host calls the temple first to confirm the date and the number of monks. thailandfoundation.or.th
What happens at the ceremony, in order?
The monks arrive, sit and chant. The host offers lunch to the Buddha statue and the monks. After the meal the host may present flowers, incense, candles or a sangkhathan set. The monks chant again and sanctify the space with holy water. thailandfoundation.or.th
What time of day is the ceremony?
KTC names two common times: 7:30 in the morning, or the monks' lunch at 10:30. ktc.co.th
What do I need to prepare?
KTC lists an altar table with a Buddha image, a sangkhathan set, the monks' envelope and daily necessities, a holy-water bowl with silver and gold leaf, flowers, incense, candles, food, drinking water, mats and chairs for guests. ktc.co.th
How much does a house blessing cost?
One Bangkok household budgeted about ฿14,000 in 2020 for 5 monks and 40 guests. Food and drink came to ฿8,436, the monks' envelope to ฿3,000 and the sangkhathan set to ฿1,500. sanook.com
How far ahead are the monks invited?
KTC puts the lead time at about one month. ktc.co.th
Which day is a good day?
Many people look at the Chinese calendar, for example Thongchai days, says KTC. Others pick a weekend when relatives can come. ktc.co.th
Do shops hold the ceremony too?
The Thailand Foundation notes that business owners may hold the ceremony for new offices. thailandfoundation.or.th
Also from Hongdam
Spirit house (small shrine) installed
฿3,000
Chosen with you, placed and blessed; house and ceremony charged at the price we pay.
Su khwan ceremony (spirit blessing)
฿3,000
A mo khwan (the person who leads the rite) found and the ceremony arranged, with a translator.
Merit (Buddhist good deeds) for someone who died
฿3,000
On the 7th, 50th or 100th day after the death: monks invited, photos sent.
Auspicious (lucky) date
from ฿2,000
Two lucky dates for a wedding, a house move, a shop opening or a new car.
Car, driver or guide for a day
from ฿3,000
Nine hours with a car and driver, or eight hours with a licensed guide.
Document translation
from ฿500
Translation between Thai, English, Burmese and Chinese, for passports, contracts and certificates.
Elsewhere
Small print
Prices here move with demand: when most of a month's places are taken, the price goes up a step; when few are, it comes down a step.
Sources read 2026-11-04.