News · 22 July 2026
British monk becomes first foreigner to reach top Thai Buddhist rank
Image by Jardel Bassi on Freepik
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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