Thai Monk Promoted to Divine Rank in Royal Ceremony
King Maha Vajiralongkorn has granted the divine ecclesiastical title Phra Thep Wajchara Thammathorn to senior monk Phra Rajsutthi Thammathorn of Wat Phayurathammaram in Pathum Thani. The 78‑year‑old monk, who has served as abbot and provincial monk chief for decades, received the honor in conjunction with the Queen’s fourth birthday anniversary. The promotion recognizes his lifelong work in Buddhist education, youth development, and religious preservation.
Born on 10 April 1948 in Pathum Thani, he came from a farming family with twelve siblings. He entered novice monkhood at age 17 and received full ordination at age 20 in 1968. After completing elementary religious studies, he pursued higher Buddhist education in Bangkok, earning degrees in Buddhist scriptures and later a secular middle‑school equivalency. He returned to Pathum Thani to serve the monastic community, holding positions ranging from assistant abbot to abbot of Wat Phayurathammaram, monastic lecturer, preceptor, and advisor to the provincial monk council. In 1992 he received his first ecclesiastical promotion, and over the decades rose through the ranks to become a senior monk, then a royal monk, and finally, on 20 April 2026, was elevated to the highest divine rank as Phra Thep Wajchara Thammathorn. Throughout his career he has emphasized youth education, national loyalty, and the preservation of Buddhism, receiving royal support including a monthly stipend from Queen Sirikit since 1985.
