Somdet Kiaw, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Somdet Kiaw

Thai buddhist monk

Date of Birth: 03-Mar-1928

Place of Birth: Ko Samui, Surat Thani, Thailand

Date of Death: 10-Aug-2013

Profession: politician, bhikkhu

Nationality: Thailand

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Bu??hacarya (Thai: ??????????????????; RTGS: Phutthachan), dharma name Upase?o (Thai: ???????; RTGS: Uppaseno), born as Kiaw Chokchai (Thai: ?????? ??????; RTGS: Kiao Chokchai), and commonly known as Somdet Kiaw (Thai: ????????????; "His Holiness Kiaw"), was a Thai prelate who was the abbot of Wat Saket and the Acting Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, the effective leader of all Buddhist monks in Thailand.
He was appointed Acting Supreme Patriarch in 2005 due to the failing health of the incumbent Supreme Patriarch Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana.
He was a monk of the Mahanikaya order, and is of Thai Chinese descent.
His appointment provoked severe criticism from Luang Ta Maha Bua (of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya order) and Sondhi Limthongkul, who claimed that the appointment created two Supreme Patriarchs and contravened the royal prerogative of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
On 4 March 2005, Maha Bua even petitioned King Bhumibol Adulyadej to remove all of Kiaw's royal titles.