Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, the abbot of Wat Saket and chairman of the monastic panel acting on behalf of the Supreme Patriarch, died of a blood infection at Samitivej Hospital yesterday morning. He was 85.
Nopparat Benjawattananant, director of the National Office of Buddhism, said the body of the revered monk will be moved from the hospital to Wat Saket at 10am today.
His Majesty the King will provide royal bathing water for the royally sponsored bathing ceremony at the temple, which will be held at 5pm today.
The King will also sponsor the funeral chanting rites for seven days until next Sunday.
No funeral chanting rite will be held tomorrow, as it is the birthday anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen.
The revered Buddhist monk, widely known as Somdej Kiew, was born on March 3, 1928 in Koh Samui district of Surat Thani province. He was ordained as a monk at Wat Saket in 1949.
On Jan 9, 2004, Somdej Phra Buddhacharn was appointed by the Sangha Supreme Council, the clergy's governing body in Thailand, to act on behalf of the Supreme Patriarch, who became ill and was admitted to Chulalongkorn Hospital in 2002.
On July 20, 2004, the council agreed to appoint a monastic panel working on behalf of the Supreme Patriarch. Somdej Phra Buddhacharn, as the most senior monk at the time, was appointed chairman of the panel.
Somdej Phra Buddhacharn was recognised for his efforts in spreading the teachings of Lord Buddha worldwide.
He worked with Thai people to build temples and send monks to propagate Buddhism in several countries, including the US, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.
The most senior monk tipped to succeed Somdej Phra Buddhacharn as the next chairman of the monastic panel is Somdej Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the 86-year-old abbot of Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok, according to a source close to the matter.
Somdej Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn is also a member of the monastic panel working on the Supreme Patriarch's behalf.