Thai Community in Norway Holds Merit Ceremony for Princess Bajrakitiyabha
Thai monks and community members in Oslo held a merit-making ceremony on the 100th day after Princess Bajrakitiyabha's passing, led by officials from a Bangkok Buddhist university and attended by Thailand's ambassador to Norway.
On Thursday, 17 September 2025, at 09:30 local time in Oslo, Norway, Phra Phrom Wachira Theeracharya, rector of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, led officials and faculty members to join Thai monks and the Thai community in a merit-making ceremony at the Thai temple in Norway. The ceremony included Buddhist chanting and meditation dedicated to Princess Bajrakitiyabha on the occasion of the 100th day after her passing. Thai Ambassador to Norway Nithiwadee Manitkul and embassy staff participated alongside Thai residents. Officials stressed that the ceremony demonstrated unwavering devotion to the nation, religion, and monarchy, and reflected the vital role of Thai temples abroad in serving as spiritual centers and cultural anchors for Thai Buddhists. The event also marked the formal appointment of the abbot of the Thai temple in Norway as chairman of the Union of Thai Dharma Missionaries in Europe, a position elected by over 150 Thai temples across the continent on 21 June 2025 during the 19th annual assembly in Berlin, Germany. The appointment is expected to strengthen coordination among missionaries, Thai temples, and Buddhist communities throughout Europe in religious promotion, practice, and network building—roles aligned with the university's mission as a Buddhist institution engaged in education, monastic development, and international Buddhist networking.
