Ajahn Ratanavaṇṇo was born in Korat, north-east Thailand, on 10 February 1971. After finishing high school he worked in an industrial concern for a year, and then, as he had not been called up for military service, he decided to become a monk for three months. Those three months have extended indefinitely. In his fifth year as a monk Ajahn Ratanavaṇṇo moved to Wat Pah Nanachat, where he acted as the monastery secretary. In 1999 he spent a year at Abhayagiri Monastery, before moving to Amaravati in 2001. Ajahn Ratanavaṇṇo returned to Amaravati in late November 2012, after spending the three previous years back in Thailand.
