On September 2, 2026, Thailand's Royal Gazette (ราชกิจจานุเบกษา) published a royal decree elevating the ecclesiastical titles of 37 monks. Among them was the deputy abbot of Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan (วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร), widely known as the Golden Mount Temple, in Bangkok. His title rose from Phra Khru Palad Suwatthanasitthikhun (พระครูปลัดสุวัฒนสิทธิคุณ) to Phra Vachirasitthisophon (พระวชิรสิทธิโสภณ), placing him in the rank of Phra Rachakhana class Samanya (พระราชาคณะชั้นสามัญ) — the entry tier of Thailand's royally conferred monastic titles. He was listed 27th among the 37 monks named in this round.
How Thailand's Sangha Title System Works
Thai monks can rise through a formal, king-conferred hierarchy of ecclesiastical titles (สมณศักดิ์). Most begin as Phra Khru (พระครู), an honorific rank, before some are elevated into the Phra Rachakhana (พระราชาคณะ) tiers, which are further subdivided into ascending classes — Samanya (ordinary), Racha, Thep, and Tham — before the rare, most senior Somdej (สมเด็จ) rank and, ultimately, the position of Supreme Patriarch (สมเด็จพระสังฆราช). This elevation sits alongside other title changes we have covered, including Wat Suthat's deputy abbot being elevated to fill a vacant royal title and the more dramatic case of British-born monk Ajahn Chayasaro becoming the first foreign-born Somdej in Thai history.
From Buddhist Psychology Lecturer to Deputy Abbot
Phra Vachirasitthisophon was born Phisut Angsupalee (พิศุทธิ์ อังสุปาลี) and ordained under the Buddhist name Visuttho (วิสุทฺโธ). He was ordained at Wat Saket on May 17, 2006, with the late Somdet Phra Phutthacharn (Kiaw Upaseno) (สมเด็จพระพุฒาจารย์ (เกี่ยว อุปเสโณ)) as his preceptor — a towering figure in modern Thai Buddhism who served as Wat Saket's abbot for decades and headed the council performing Supreme Patriarch duties from 2004 until his death in 2013 at age 85. Phra Vachirasitthisophon holds a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Kasetsart University (2005) and a master's in Buddhist Studies from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (2015), alongside Pali studies to the fourth level. He has built a distinctive niche combining vipassana meditation training with Buddhist counseling, life coaching, and Satir Model psychotherapy, volunteering as a hospital chaplain in Chulalongkorn Hospital's "Dhamma by the Bedside" program and lecturing to medical and nursing students at several universities. He was appointed deputy abbot of Wat Saket in 2025.
Why This Matters for Amulet Collectors
On its face, this is an internal sangha administrative announcement with no amulet attached to it. But for collectors who track the lineage of Thailand's senior monks, title elevations like this are worth logging. A monk's rank shapes his standing to preside over major consecration ceremonies (Phutthaphisek), and amulets or commemorative coins issued under a higher-ranked monk's name typically carry a stronger reputational premium in the resale market. Wat Saket is one of Bangkok's most prominent royal temples, its golden chedi visible across the old city skyline, and its lineage runs directly through Somdet Phra Phutthacharn (Kiaw Upaseno), one of the most influential Thai monastic leaders of the past half-century. A newly titled deputy abbot at a temple with this pedigree is a name collectors may see attached to future temple fundraising editions or consecration events — worth watching, even though no specific amulet has been announced yet.
Source: The Thaiger