King appoints new Supreme Patriarch

BANGKOK, Feb 7 (TNA) - His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn has chosen Somdet Phra Maha Muneewong, abbot of Wat Ratchabophit, to be the 20th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Gen Prayut said after the cabinet meeting today that a ceremony to appoint the new supreme patriarch will be held at 5pm on Sunday. His Majesty the King will preside over the ceremony at Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The prime minister said the government followed the procedures in line with the law and submitted the names of five qualified monks to His Majesty the King for consideration. Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong, 89, is of Dhammayuttika Nikaya, one of the two orders of Buddhist monks in Thailand. A rumour has spread in the past week about the appointment of a He was appointed as the new supreme patriarch to succeed Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, who passed away in October 2013. The King’s decision came after the recent law amendment to allow the King to directly name the supreme patriarch instead of the nomination by the Sangha Council. (TNA)