His Majesty the King has promoted Ajahn Jayasaro, a renowned British-born monk and disciple of the late Luang Por Chah, one of the most revered figures of the Thai forest tradition, to the rank of Somdet Phra Ratchakhana, making him the first foreign-born monk in Thai history to receive the royal ecclesiastical title.
The rank of Somdet Phra Ratchakhana is second only to the Supreme Patriarch in Thailand's nine-tier ecclesiastical hierarchy.
Ajahn Jayasaro was one of eight senior monks elevated to the rank of Somdet Phra Ratchakhana under a royal command published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.
The royal announcement said the promotions were granted in recognition of monks who have demonstrated exemplary conduct and made significant contributions to Buddhism.
Ajahn Jayasaro, currently residing at Ban Rai Tor See Monastic Residence in Nakhon Ratchasima province, was promoted from Phra Phrompacharayanmuni to Somdet Phra Maha Pacharayanmuni, effective July 12.
Born Shaun Michael Chiverton on Jan 7, 1958, on the Isle of Wight in England, Ajahn Jayasaro first became interested in Buddhism as a teenager while searching for answers about life and coping with chronic asthma, according to Thai PBS.
After studying Eastern philosophy and practising meditation on his own, he travelled to Thailand in 1978 to pursue Buddhist studies and train under Phra Bodhinyanathera (Luang Por Chah Suphatto) at Wat Nong Pah Pong in Ubon Ratchathani.
He ordained as a novice monk in 1979 and became a fully ordained monk on June 3, 1980, with Luang Por Chah serving as his preceptor.
Over the following decades, Ajahn Jayasaro became one of the most prominent Western monks in Thailand, known for his deep knowledge of Buddhist teachings, fluency in Thai and English, and his efforts to introduce Buddhist principles to both Thai and international audiences.
In 2020, His Majesty granted him Thai citizenship as a special case in recognition of his contributions to Buddhism.
Ajahn Jayasaro: A timeline
- 1958 – Born Shaun Michael Chiverton on the Isle of Wight, England.
- 1978 – Travels to Thailand and becomes a disciple of Luang Por Chah at Wat Nong Pah Pong.
- 1979 – Ordains as a novice monk.
- 1980 – Ordains as a Buddhist monk and receives the monastic name “Jayasaro”.
- 1986-1996 – Serves as deputy abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, the international branch monastery of Wat Nong Pah Pong.
- 1997-2002 – Serves as abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat.
- 2003 – Steps down as abbot and relocates to what is now Ban Rai Tor See Monastic Residence in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima.
- 2020 – Granted Thai citizenship by royal permission.
- 2024 – Elevated to the rank of Phra Phrompacharayanmuni.
- 2026 – Elevated to Somdet Phra Maha Pacharayanmuni, becoming Thailand's first foreign-born Somdet Phra Ratchakhana.
