[Stratos]

Some tips:

Strenght: Used for Attack bonus and damage as well as carrying capacity. You can't go wrong with adding some points here, 14 or so should be adequate to begin with unless you're a powergamer.

Dexterity: Adds to Armor Class and reflex saves. Important for a Monk and should be raised whenever you can. Should be, at least, around 14 from start.

Constitution: Determines bonus HP when leveling up and fort. saves. The Monk is a d8 class so you get a decent amount of Hp. You will also gain immunity to poison and disease eventually, which fort. saves protect against, so there no real reason to raise Con. above 14. If you want some extra Hp there's always the Toughness feat.

Wisdom: The Monk can get an AC bonus from Wisdom and it also helps some abilities like Stunning Fist and Quivering Palm so a few points here wont hurt. 14 or so from the go should be a good start. It also boosts Will saves.

Intelligence: The only real reason to put points here is to get some more skill points. The 4/level-up you get as a Monk, 5 if you're a Human, is enough but if you want some more here is the place to spend some points.

Charisma: Not important either for the Monk. It helps skills such as Persuasion but really isn't essential for a Monk.

You get one additional ability point at every fourth level and raising a stat with those points only takes one point. In other words raising your Dex from 16 to 17 only takes one point in the game, while doing the same at character creation takes 3. You get a total of 5 extra points in the game assuming you reach lv. 20.

Also note that you only get a stat modifier ( bonus to skills, abilities etc.) at even numbers, so a Dex of 14 would give you a +2 modifier to, say, Stunning Fist while a Dex of 15 would still only give you +2. You would have to raise your Dex to 16 before you got a +3 modifier.

Hope this sheds some light on things.