Special Report - Commemoration of 76th Birthday of Somdet Phra Maha Wirawong

On January 22, 2026, at Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul participated in a merit-making ceremony with 108 monks to celebrate the 76th birthday of Somdet Phra Maha Wirawong (Suchin Akkachino), who serves as assistant abbot, Sangha Council member, Secretary to the Supreme Patriarch, and Head of the Royal Dharma Examination Board. Attending the ceremony were key government officials including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, the Prime Minister's advisor, the Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and other ministry officials and Buddhist followers. Somdet Phra Maha Wirawong, originally named Suchin Mongkoltaluang, was born on January 22, 1950, in Phai Klat Subdistrict, Bang Sai District, Ayutthaya Province. He was ordained as a novice monk at age 11 and has since risen through the ranks of the Buddhist clergy, receiving multiple promotions and holding significant religious leadership positions.