New top monk has ‘proven credentials’

The appointment of Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong as the new Supreme Patriarch by His Majesty the King has left no room for doubt about his credentials for the top monastic post, according to people close to him. Committed to the ascetic life, staying away from physical pleasures and comforts, the 90-year-old abbot of Wat Rajabopit in Bangkok has proved to be a worthy successor to the late, highly-revered supreme patriarch, Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, who passed away on Oct 24, 2013.