King Bestows Ecclesiastical Title on Senior Monk Phra Thep Vajiradhammameti

On November 6, the Royal Gazette website published a royal command announcing the granting of an ecclesiastical title certificate. It stated that His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua graciously conferred the title Phra Ratchavajiradhammameti, of the Phra Racha Khana Thoep rank, with the name Phra Thep Vajiradhammameti, residing at Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram Ratchaworawihan, a royal temple in Bangkok. He holds five levels of monastic administrative rank. This takes effect from November 5, 2026, announced on November 6, 2026, the 11th year of the current reign.

Currently, Phra Thep Vajiradhammameti (Arayapong Arayathammo), aged 47 with 27 years of monkhood, holds the positions of Assistant Abbot of Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram, Secretary of Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram, Head of the Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram Restoration Project Office, and committee member and secretary of the Wat Salakod Royal Temple Supervisory Board in Sing Buri Province.

His former lay name was Arayapong Thotsaphenbirarak. He was born on December 23, 1979, at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, the son of Mr. Kan Thotsaphenbirarak and Miss Nitchaphat Chansongsaeng. At age 20, he was ordained on Sunday, November 7, 1999, at Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, with Phra Phromwacharachan (Phun Sak Waraphatthako) as preceptor. While holding the rank of Phra Ratchabandit, he served as upajjhaya and received the monastic name "Arayathammo."

He studied Dhamma and passed the Nak Tham Tri, Tho, and Ek examinations respectively, affiliated with Wat Bowonniwet Vihara's educational office.

Due to his dedicated practice and high responsibility, he gained the trust of the Abbot of Wat Ratchapradit, particularly for his expertise in restoring religious objects and sites. He has been entrusted with overseeing the restoration of the royal temple since 2006, including the Phutthawas and Sangkhawas areas, the Phra Ubosot, the Prasat Phra Borom Rup Rattanakosin IV, the Prasat Phra Traipitaka, the Pasan Chedi, the Kuti Chao Nai, and the Phra Thi Nang Thong Thammachat.

Since 2012, he has organized the annual recitation of the Phra Phutthamongkhon Nawakkhayusamatham, a composition by the late Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Ariyavangsagatayana (Sa Pussathevo), the 9th Supreme Patriarch of Rattanakosin and first Abbot of Wat Ratchapradit. The ceremony is held to offer blessings for the long life of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great (Rama IX), King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), and the royal family, and for the prosperity of the Thai people. It takes place every fourth Sunday of the month.

Phra Thep Vajiradhammameti also oversees the creation of Thepanom (angel) figures in art toy form, derived from the temple's Nawakkhayusamatham chant. The figures depict the angels' postures and characteristics in a cute, lively style accessible to all ages, easy to remember. They are given as merit-making gifts to supporters of the Japanese Mukashi Art Wood Carving Conservation Project at the temple's main vihara, in collaboration with the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Japan.

Additionally, he serves as an advisor for the restoration of Wat Salakod (Royal Temple) in Sing Buri Province, where Somdet Phra Maha Viravongse (Thim Uddhamo), the 4th Abbot of Wat Ratchapradit Sathit Maha Simaram, serves as the Sangha-side chairman, and Mom Luang Bua Kittiyakorn is the royal patroness.