Getting a Nat Blessing in Chiang Mai 

Itinerary for getting a nat blessing in Chiang Mai

On the day of your nat blessing ceremony, we will have a Travel Guru (local guide) meet you at your hotel or an agreed-upon location. You will travel together to a rural area of the city of Chiang Mai, where a revered Ajarn’s samnak (traditional sak yant studio) is located. Upon arrival, you will begin to feel the authenticity and seclusion of this ajarn’s practice, and see how serious and involved he really is. Often, there are several other locals there awaiting their own blessing and protection from him.

You will be guided through the entire ceremony with the help of your travel guru. The duration of the ceremonies is only about 30 minutes total, including the processes before and after, though the duration of your consultation can be longer depending on what you want to share with the ajarn. It all happens in an incredible setting and one that not many would ever forget. The smells, the sounds, the statues and masks, and incense burning.

Upon completion of your sacred blessing, our travel guru will escort you to a local food market for a well-deserved meal, where you can reflect on your experience while further being exposed to the local culture through the sights, sounds, and tastes of this part of Chiang Mai.

With your new protection and a full belly, our guide will help arrange transit for your journey back to your hotel, happy and blessed.

Who gives you a Nat Blessing in Chiang Mai?

Meet Phra Ajarn Rung

In Chiang Mai, we practice Sak Yant with master Ajarn Rung. He has lived an incredible life of servitude to both Buddhism and sak yant. Arjun Rung is a practicing Buddhist monk who’s been giving Sak Yant blessings to his followers since he was a teenager, in 2001.

He comes from a long family of Sak Yant masters and is one of three primary masters currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Arjun Rung was a nomadic monk who traveled across many countries in search of numerous Sak Yant masters to teach him and expand his knowledge.

He became a solitary sage who lived alone in the forests, studied Sak Yant methods, and deepened his meditation practice. This was the norm centuries ago, as one of the main figures depicted and paid tribute to in every samnak (studio) is the Russi (hermit) who lived in the forest to practice and expand their knowledge and connection to the natural world. Ajarn Rung is a kind and empathetic soul, mindful of his guests’ needs, and has a great sense of humor as well. You could not be in better hands in Chiang Mai.

Though relatively unknown to the outside world before we collaborated with him, he has since served hundreds of foreigners coming to learn about his trade and experience the ancient rituals of sak yant. Much of his popularity has come from bloggers who have joined us in this sacred practice and written about their experiences while here.

Ajarn Rung is known as a mindful sak yant master, with Lanna-style magic. His northern style is light-handed with very fine and concise line work. He takes hygiene very seriously and heavily sterilized needle tips and new ink pots are used for each guest, along with new latex rubber gloves.

Ajarn Rung is an ajarn known for listening well and often sharing Buddhist ideas of living more thoughtfully in his consultations. His knowledge and wisdom are met with a gentle demeanor, and if you get him laughing, it is contagious. We are honored to work alongside this wise and respected ajarn.

In the event Ajarn Rung becomes unavailable on the date you reserve (last-minute Buddhist ceremonies or funerals he must attend), we will try to coordinate with you either to reschedule your appointment with him or with another one of our trusted ajarns offering sak yant in Chiang Mai.

What is included in your Ink-less Experience in Chiang Mai?

Your nat blessing experience includes:
– Information provided before your experience to educate you and properly prepare you
– Pick-up and drop-off transfers to your hotel (must be centrally located within Chiang Mai).
Note: We will use a private vehicle to get to the ajarn, as he is located outside the city. We will use either a small SUV or a bigger Songtaew (red truck), depending on your group size.
– A specially trained and licensed guide who will facilitate your experience
– A fully translated consultation with the ajarn
– All offerings for the ritual (flowers, incense, etc)
– A traditional and clean Nat blessing with gold leaf
– Food (simple lunch and snacks) to keep your energy levels up

What is not included in your Ink Experience in Chiang Mai?

– Travel Insurance (Compulsory)
– International flights or transportation to/from the itinerary’s start point
– Accommodation in Chiang Mai (we suggest Agoda for the best hotel rates)
– Activities not listed in the itinerary
– Meals not listed in the itinerary
– Gratuities and tips
– All drinks
– Spending Money

Need a place to stay in Chiang Mai?

To make things easier, we’ve added an interactive map below where you can search for accommodations across Chiang Mai. Input your travel dates and number of guests to explore options from trusted platforms like Agoda and Booking.com. We’ve pinned a spot close to Wat Chedi Luang — a central landmark in the heart of Chiang Mai’s historic Old City. This area is perfect for anyone wanting to connect with the ancient culture of the north while being within walking distance to the city’s temples, markets, food vendors, and more.

Please double-check the currency displayed, as it may vary depending on your device settings or the website you’re viewing.

More information about getting a Lueng Nat blessing

Getting a nat blessing in Chiang Mai – The process of getting a lueng nat (blessing) is a sacred experience – one that has been regarded as a very important service for centuries in South East Asia and has grown and evolved over time. We feel very fortunate to be able to offer this experience to our guests.

It’s probably a good idea to know a bit about the process prior to getting a nat blessing to understand what you are about to experience. Based on old traditions, it is common for locals to come to meet with their Ajarn prior to getting a nat blessing, to be able to consult them on things troubling their lives. Generally, Nat blessings are for the intent of having better success with your work-life, family/love-life and to become better at communication. Many people who have received sak yant also get nat blessings to ‘recharge’ their sak yant if they feel they need more power from it later on.

We try to bridge cultural gaps with a full consultation prior to your experience. When you visit Chiang Mai to get a nat blessing on our ink-less experience, you will be able to converse with the ajarn with the aid of your Travel Guru (licensed local guide), to hear the ajarn’s teachings and suggestions for what might help you in your onward journey. It is a beautiful process, and we encourage everyone to go through it.

We take hygiene and quality very seriously and have interviewed many ajarns to ensure that we can find the best suited for you to get a nat blessing in Chiang Mai. The ajarn we practise with is also comfortable to give a nat blessing to women (though no photos of women are allowed during the blessing process, though feel free to take photos before and after). You will be assured good hygiene while being very traditional in the ceremonies with a respected ajarn, so you can come worry-free and be able to be more ‘present’ both mentally, physically, and spiritually for your experience.

Supporting Local Projects with our TRiP Foundation

For every TRiP that you go on with WSE Travel, we will donate 2% of the total sales price to an environmental or community-based project in the country you’re visiting. We want to ensure that every guest we help, in turn, helps support and preserve the destination we’re experiencing together as a direct result. We live by an ethos to Travel Responsibly & Impact Positively (TRiP).

For more information on the projects supported by this experience, please visit our Thailand TRIP projects.

Cancellation & Rebooking Policy

All tours, services, and experiences booked through WSE Travel are bound to our Terms and Conditions, which were modeled after most other travel services such as flights, hotels, and other tour operators.

At Where Sidewalks End, your reservation is more than a transaction — it’s a direct contract with local professionals who rely on this work as a primary source of income. As such, we are obligated to honor the livelihoods of our local partners — including guides, Ajarns (masters), and drivers — who dedicate their time exclusively to your experience.

In many of the destinations where we operate, labor protections and fair wage commitments are upheld by local laws — and we are both ethically and contractually required to adhere to them. Once a booking is confirmed, the service providers committed to your experience are financially compensated for reserving their time — even in the event of cancellation. This ensures fair and dignified treatment for all involved in delivering your experience.

If You Need to Cancel or Reschedule

All bookings are subject to the following terms:

More than 14 Days’ Notice

Your payment will be placed into a Lifetime Deposit (Safety Deposit Box). This can be:

• Used for a future date
• Transferred to a friend or family member

Refunds are not available unless WSE Travel cancels your booking due to reasons beyond your control.

7–14 Days’ Notice

A 50% rebooking fee will apply. This helps offset the compensation obligations to your dedicated team of local guides and service providers, who have reserved their day exclusively for your private tour and may not be able to secure alternate work with us or others on short notice.

Less than 7 Days’ Notice

The full cost of the tour is retained to pay the locals contracted in full. As this is a private experience, your local team’s time is fully dedicated to your session. A new team will be hired for any future rebooking.

These policies are a compassionate extension of our official Terms & Conditions, designed to support both our guests and the ethical standards of responsible tourism.

Travel Insurance or Liability Waiver Required

Because life can be unpredictable — and because we are required to uphold our commitments to local partners — all guests must either:

• Provide proof of comprehensive travel insurance, or
• Sign a Liability Waiver Form at the start of their trip

We highly recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — trusted by global travelers for its flexible, affordable coverage and very competitive rates.

Travel insurance can help protect you from financial losses related to:

• Illness
• Missed flights
• Emergency cancellations
• Non-refundable bookings

If you choose to travel without Travel Insurance, you will be required to fill out a Liability Waiver Form at the beginning of your trip. 

Thank You for Traveling Responsibly

We deeply appreciate your understanding and support of ethical tourism. Your booking directly sustains local communities and helps preserve cultural traditions in a meaningful and lasting way.

If you have any questions or need help rescheduling, please contact us — we’re always happy to assist.