The Interior Ministry Secretary has informed governors nationwide to prepare for Buddhist chanting ceremonies and merit-making almsgiving in honor of the Supreme Patriarch's 99th birthday celebration on 26 June 2026.
On 17 June 2026, Mr. Assisit Sampanrat, Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, revealed that His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatayana, the Supreme Patriarch, will turn 99 on 26 June 2026. The organizing committee for the Supreme Patriarch's 99th birthday celebration, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, resolved on 11 May 2026 to approve projects and activities honoring this occasion. These include a Buddhist chanting ceremony and merit-making almsgiving on Friday, 26 June 2026, at 7:00 a.m., held simultaneously at central, regional, and international locations.
The Interior Ministry Secretary stated that the Ministry has informed all 76 provincial governors nationwide about the event and asked them to prepare regional celebrations following established protocols for honoring royal or religious occasions. The event is titled in Thai as "The Celebrations on the Occasion of His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatayana the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand's 99th Birthday Anniversary 26th June 2026" and in English as “The Celebrations on the Occasion of His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatayana the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand's 99th Birthday Anniversary 26th June 2026.” The event period is set from 1 March to 31 December 2026.
"Regarding the Buddhist chanting and merit-making almsgiving ceremony, it is scheduled for Friday, 26 June 2026, at 7:00 a.m. at provincial halls or appropriate venues, with the provincial governors serving as chairpersons. District chiefs and local administrative officials have also been informed to plan and hold ceremonies simultaneously with the provinces and central authorities. This allows Buddhist devotees and Thai citizens nationwide to participate together in merit-making on this significant occasion," he said.
Regarding the biography, His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatayana, the Supreme Patriarch (Amphon Ambaro), was born on Sunday, 26 June 1927, in Ratchaburi province. He was ordained as a novice monk in 1940 at Wat Sattanat Pariwat Worawihan in Ratchaburi and was fully ordained as a monk on 9 May 1948 at the ordination hall of Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaram Ratchaworawihan in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district. On 12 February 2017, His Majesty the King graciously appointed him as the 20th Supreme Patriarch of the Rattanakosin era.