What is a Buddhist monastery? We might define it as a long-term residence of monastics, whether monks or nuns, but even this basic definition fails to cover the whole Buddhist world. In all periods and regions, the architectural, social, and religious organization of Buddhist places of worship and monastic residence have varied considerably.

This collection is the result of an international research program conducted by the Bangkok branch of the Ecole francaise d’Extreme-Orient between 1997 and 2003. The simple and straightforward title belies the uniqueness of the work, for this is the only comprehensive study presenting a clear geographical and historical overview of Buddhist monasteries throughout Asia, especially Southeast Asia, and particularly in Thailand.