Somdet Kiaw
Somdet Kiaw was a Thai Buddhist monk who served as the abbot of Wat Saket and the acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.Name
Somdet Kiaw was born Kiaw Chokchai. His Dhamma name, in the Pali language, was Upaseṇo, and his highest monastic title was Somdet Phra Buḍhācārya. His previous monastic titles were as follows:
- Phra Medhisuddhibongsa, 1958
- Phra Rajavisuddhimedhi, 1962
- Phra Debgunabhorn, 1964
- Phra Dharmagunabhorn, 1971
- Phra Brahmagunabhorn, 1973
Somdet Kiaw was appointed acting Supreme Patriarch in 2005 due to the failing health of the incumbent Supreme Patriarch Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana. He was a monk of the Mahanikaya order, and was of Thai Chinese descent. His appointment provoked severe criticism from Luang Ta Maha Bua and Sondhi Limthongkul, who claimed that the appointment created two Supreme Patriarchs and contravened the royal prerogative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. On 4 March 2005, Maha Bua even petitioned King Bhumibol Adulyadej to remove all of Kiaw's royal titles.