British-born monk rises to Thailand's second-highest Buddhist rank
Ajahn Jayasaro, born Shaun Chiverton in England, becomes the first foreign-born monk to reach the rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana in Thailand.
A British man has made history in Thailand's Buddhist tradition. Shaun Chiverton, better known for years now as Ajahn Jayasaro, has been appointed to the rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana at the age of 68. This is considered the second-highest rank in Thailand's Buddhist hierarchy. He is the first foreign-born monk in Thailand's history to reach this rank.
Chiverton was born in 1958 on the Isle of Wight in England. As a young man, questions about the meaning of life and human suffering occupied his mind. In search of answers, he began travelling to different countries. In the late 1970s he came to India, where he began studying the Buddha's teachings.
From India, his journey took him on to Thailand. In 1978 he joined the lineage of the well-known Buddhist teacher Luang Por Chah. He went on to take up the forest tradition of Buddhist practice in Thailand and devoted his life to meditation, spirituality and spreading Buddhist teaching.
Ajahn Jayasaro has written and taught on Buddhism in both Thai and English for years, and had earlier been given various religious titles in recognition of this work. In 2020 he received Thai citizenship, after which his religious career saw progressively greater responsibilities.
On July 14, 2026, by royal command, eight senior monks were elevated to the rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, and Ajahn Jayasaro's name was among them. The appointment marks the first time a foreign-born person has reached this level in Thailand's Buddhist hierarchy.
Ajahn Jayasaro's story is not just about reaching a religious rank. It is an almost five-decade spiritual journey that began in Britain and went on through India to Thailand. In Thailand he immersed himself firmly in the Buddhist tradition of meditation, discipline and practice. His appointment also highlights the international reach of Thailand's Buddhist tradition, and a foreign-born person reaching such a prestigious position in the Thai Buddhist system is being seen as historic.
