Ajahn Achalo was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1972. He developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of twenty and a year later left for Thailand to study Buddhism more intently. In 1996 Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu (monk) under Luang Por Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by venerable Ajahn Chah.
Ajahn Achalo has studied with well-practiced monks as well as having trained in several traditional contexts, including meditation monasteries (in Thailand and in the West), remote forests, and periods on pilgrimage. For most of his Bhikkhu life, he has considered Ven. Ajahn Anan, abbot of Wat Marp Jan, to be his principal mentor.
In 2021, Ajahn Achalo was granted Thai citizenship by royal decree from King Rama X of Thailand.
In July 2024, he was given the ecclesiastical title of Chaokhun Raja Vajirayana Muni.
