Ecclesiastical peerages (Thai: สมณศักดิ์; ; literally "ecclesiastical dignity") have traditionally been given to ordained members of the Thai sangha, the community of the Buddhist monks of Thailand.
Each ecclesiastical peer holds a rank (Thai: ยศ;) and a title (Thai: ราชทินนาม;). For example, Phra Dharma Kośācārya (Thai: พระธรรมโกศาจารย์;) is the title of a monk holding the rank of phra rachakhana (Thai: พระราชาคณะ) in the dharma class. In addition to an ecclesiastical peerage, a monk may also be known by a layname (name as a layperson) and a dharmic name.
Holders of certain ranks are given (Thai: พัดยศ;).
The custom of giving peerages to Buddhist priests originated in Sri Lanka and is believed to have been practiced in Thailand since the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom, during which the Sri Lanka's sect of Buddhism known as Laṅkāvaṃśa (Thai: ลังกาวงศ์) was prevalent in the region and it appears that Srī Śraddhā (Thai: ศรีศรัทธา;), a nephew of King Pha Mueang, a local leader at that time, even travelled to the isle of Sri Lanka where he was ordained as a priest and was given a peerage. Stone inscriptions of that time mention such ecclesiastical titles as Mahāthēra (Thai: มหาเถร;) and Mahāsvāmī (Thai: มหาสวามี;).
During the reign of King Mahathammaracha II of Sukhothai, the Buddhist community of Sukhothai was divided into two sects: araṇyavāsī (Thai: อรัญวาสี; ; literally "forest dwellers") and gāmavāsī (Thai: คามวาสี; ; literally "village dwellers"). The patriarchs of both sects held the title Mahāthēra.
In the Ayutthaya Kingdom, the gāmavāsī sect was again divided into two subsects: the northern sect (Thai: หนเหนือ) and the southern sect (Thai: หนใต้). The patriarchs of the northern sect were styled Phra Vanaratna (Thai: พระวันรัตน์;) or Phra Banaratna (Thai: พระพนรัตน์;) and those of the southern sect were styled Phra Buddhaghoṣācārya (Thai: พระพุทธโฆษาจารย์;), whilst the patriarchs of the araṇyavāsī sect were styled Phra Buddhācārya (Thai: พระพุทธาจารย์;). It is also believed that senior monks had been appointed by the monarch of Ayuthaya as supreme patriarchs in charge of the entire monastic community.
In the subsequent kingdoms of Thon Buri and Rattanakosin, the same custom was practiced until the enactment of the Sangha Administration Statute 1902 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติลักษณปกครองคณะสงฆ์ รัตนโกสินทรศก ๑๒๑) by King Rama V, which established a Sangha Supreme Council to nominate monks to the monarch to be appointed to peerages. This is upheld in the present Sangha Act 1962 (Thai: พระราชบัญญัติคณะสงฆ์ พ.ศ. ๒๕๐๕), except the appointment of the supreme patriarch which has been amended in January 2017 to solely be at the monarch's pleasure in line with the previous tradition.
At present, the ranks and titles given to members of the Thai sangha are as follows (from highest to lowest):
See main article: Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.
Supreme patriarch (Thai: สมเด็จพระสังฆราช;) is the highest rank in the Thai sangha. A supreme patriarch who is a member of the royal family is called somdet phra sangkharat chao (Thai: สมเด็จพระสังฆราชเจ้า), whilst one who is a commoner is merely called somdet phra sangkharat.
At present, all the supreme patriarchs are appointed by the monarch of Thailand and are titled Ariyavaṃśāgatañāṇa (Thai: อริยวงศาคตญาณ;), prefixed by the honorific Somdet Phra (Thai: สมเด็จพระ).
Somdet phra rachakhana (Thai: สมเด็จพระราชาคณะ) is the second highest rank in the Thai sangha after the supreme patriarch. At present, somdet phra rachakhana are appointed by the monarch of Thailand and there can only be eight somdet phra rachakhana: four from the Mahā Nikāya sect and the other four from the Dhammayuttika Nikāya sect.
The titles for somdet phra rachakhana, each prefixed by the honorific Somdet Phra (Thai: สมเด็จพระ), are as follows:
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Ariyavaṃśāgatañāṇa | อริยวงศาคตญาณ | Ariyawongsakhatayan |
| Buḍhācārya | พุฒาจารย์ | Phuthachan |
| Buddhaghoṣācārya | พุทธโฆษาจารย์ | Phutthakhosachan |
| Buddhajinavaṃṥa | พุทธชินวงศ์ | Phutthachinnawong |
| Buddhapābacanapatī | พุทธปาพจนบดี | Phutthapaphotchanabodi |
| Dhīrañāṇamunī | ธีรญาณมุนี | Thirayanamuni |
| Mahādhīrācārya | มหาธีราจารย์ | Mahathirachan |
| Mahāmunīvaṃṥa | มหามุนีวงศ์ | Mahamuniwong |
| Mahārajamaṇgalācārya | มหารัชมังคลาจารย์ | Maharatchamangkhalachan |
| Mahāvīravaṃṥa | มหาวีรวงศ์ | Mahawirawong |
| Ñāṇasaṃvara | ญาณสังวร | Yanasangwon |
| Ñāṇavarottama | ญาณวโรดม | Yanawarodom |
| Vajirañāṇavaṃṥa | วชิรญาณวงศ์ | Wachirayanawong |
| Vanarata | วันรัต | Wannarat |
Phra rachakhana (Thai: พระราชาคณะ) is the third highest rank in the Thai sangha, divided into two classes: special (Thai: พิเศษ) and ordinary (Thai: สามัญ).
At present, phra rachakhana are appointed by the monarch of Thailand, except those in the saman yok group of the ordinary class who are appointed by the supreme patriarch.
The title chao khun (Thai: เจ้าคุณ) is often used colloquially for monks with the rank of phra rachakhana.
There are four special classes:
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Brahma Guṇābharaṇa | พระพรหมคุณาภรณ์ | Phra Phrom Khunaphon |
| Phra Brahma Munī | พระพรหมมุนี | Phra Phrom Muni |
| Phra Śāsanasobhaṇa | พระศาสนโสภณ | Phra Satsanasophon |
| Phra Sudharmādhipatī | พระสุธรรมาธิบดี | Phra Suthammathibodi |
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Dharma Kośācārya | พระธรรมโกศาจารย์ | Phra Tham Kosachan |
| Phra Dharma Rājānuvatra | พระธรรมราชานุวัตร | Phra Tham Rachanuwat |
| Phra Dharma Śīlācārya | พระธรรมศีลาจารย์ | Phra Tham Silachan |
| Phra Dharma Visuddhimaṇgala | พระธรรมวิสุทธิมงคล | Phra Tham Wisutthimongkhon |
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Dēba Guṇādhāra | พระเทพคุณาธาร | Phra Thep Khunathan |
| Phra Dēba Ñāṇamaṇgala | พระเทพญาณมงคล | Phra Thep Yanamongkhon |
| Phra Dēba Siddhācārya | พระเทพสิทธาจารย์ | Phra Thep Sitthachan |
| Phra Dēba Vidyāgama | พระเทพวิทยาคม | Phra Thep Witthayakhom |
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Rāja Bhāvanavikrama | พระราชภาวนาวิกรม | Phra Rat Phawanawikrom |
| Phra Rāja Dharmanidēśa | พระราชธรรมนิเทศ | Phra Rat Thammanithet |
| Phra Rāja Sumēdhācārya | พระราชสุเมธาจารย์ | Phra Rat Sumethachan |
| Phra Rāja Visuddhiprajānātha | พระราชวิสุทธิประชานาถ | Phra Rat Wisut Prachanat |
There are 477 posts available in the ordinary class, with 348 for Mahā Nikāya and 129 for Dhammayuttika Nikāya.
Members of this class have the honorific Phra (Thai: พระ) prefixed to their titles, such as:
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Cullanāyaka | พระจุลนายก | Phra Chunlanayok |
| Phra Ñāṇavisāla Thēra | พระญาณวิสาลเถร | Phra Yanawisan Thera |
| Phra Maṇgala Sundara | พระมงคลสุนทร | Phra Mongkhon Sunthon |
| Phra Siddhikāra Kośala | พระสิทธิการโกศล | Phra Sitthikan Koson |
Phra rachakhana in the ordinary class are also divided into four groups:
Phra khru (Thai: พระครู) is the lowest rank in the Thai sangha, divided into three classes:
Holders of this rank have the honorific Phra Khru prefixed to their titles, such as:
| Title | In Thai | |
|---|---|---|
| Vernacular | RTGS romanised | |
| Phra Khru Ñāṇasāgara | พระครูญาณสาคร | Phra Khru Yanasakhon |
| Phra Khru Paññā Vuḍḍhi Sundara | พระครูปัญญาวุฒิสุนทร | Phra Khru Panya Wut Sunthon |
| Phra Khru Pavara Dharmakicca | พระครูบวรธรรมกิจ | Phra Khru Bowon Thammakit |
| Phra Khru Vimala Guṇākara | พระครูวิมลคุณากร | Phra Khru Wimon Khunakon |