the appointment of Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong as the 20th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand in a televised address. He succeeded Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana the 19th Supreme Patriarch, who died on 24 October 2013 at the age of 100. The prime minister stated: "I submitted the names of five qualified monks for His Majesty to consider. On Monday night, I was informed His Majesty chose Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong." Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong took the name Ariyavangsagatayana and became Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana. On 12 February 2017 he was invested by King Vajiralongkorn in a ceremony at the chapel royal of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. List of appointments 1996–present: Member of the Sangha Supreme Council for the Dhammayuttika order 2008–present: Abbott of Wat Ratchabophit 2017–present: 20th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand 2017–present: Head of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order 2017–present: President of the Sangha Supreme Council See also Supreme Patriarch of Thailand Vajiralongkorn References Links Official Facebook profile 1927 births Thai Theravada Buddhist monks Supreme Patriarchs of Thailand Recipients of Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru People from Ratchaburi province Living people