News · 22 July 2026
British monk becomes first foreigner to reach top Thai Buddhist rank
Shaun Michael Chiverton, also known as Ajahn Jayasaro, is now the first foreign-born monk to attain the second-highest position in Thai Buddhism. The 68-year-old, who hails from the Isle of Wight, received the title of Somdet Phra Rachakhana through a royal decree issued on July 12. His historic promotion places him just one tier below the Supreme Patriarch in Thailand's nine-tiered monastic hierarchy.
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