| For centuries, ever since Buddhism was introduced | | | | Propagation and the Board of Public Works. |
| into the country, the Sangha or the Buddhist | | | | The Act of B.E. 2484 remained in force for 21 years, |
| monastic order has been one of the nation's greatest | | | | or until 1962. Then the Government under the |
| institutions. Under royal patronage of all the kings and | | | | premiership of Field Marshal Sarit Dhanarajt found |
| with the support of the Government and the people, | | | | that the ecclesiastical administration should be based |
| it has even possessed the right to govern itself. | | | | on the process of centralization, not decentralization. |
| A separate government was first officially provided | | | | As a result, a change in the organization of the |
| for the Order in1903 when King Rama V enacted the | | | | Sangha was made by the Sangha Act of B.E. 2505 |
| Sangha Administration Act of R.E.121. Since then the | | | | which came into force on January 1, 1963. By this |
| State has from time to time revised it, so that to | | | | Act the Mahathera Samagom, or the Sangha |
| date three such laws have been passed, namely, | | | | Supreme Council was reestablished and the |
| 1. The Sangha Administration Act of R.E. 121 (1903 | | | | administration of the Sangha was to be carried out at |
| C.E.); | | | | two levels: the central administration and the local |
| 2. The Sangha Act of B.E. 2484 (1941 C.E.); and | | | | administration. |
| 3. The Sangha Act of BE. 2505 (1962 C.E.). | | | | At the central administration level, the Supreme |
| By the Act of R.E. 121, there was established a | | | | Patriarch who is appointed by the King, as head of |
| Mahathera Samagom or Council of Elders (or the | | | | the Buddhist Order, is responsible for all affairs of the |
| Sangha Supreme Council) to act as adviser to the | | | | Sangha. He has absolute power to govern the whole |
| King in all affairs concerning the religion and the | | | | monk community and to direct all ecclesiastical affairs. |
| administration and support of the Sangha. The Council | | | | Under him is the Mahathera Samagom which serves |
| consisted of eight members (the four Chao Gana Yai | | | | him as the Consultative Council. The Council consists |
| and their deputies) and was later presided over by | | | | of the Supreme Patriarch as its President, all |
| the Supreme Patriarch. Under the Council there were | | | | Somdech Phra Rajagana as standing ex-officio |
| Chao Gana Mondol, Chao.Gana Muang, Chao Gana | | | | members, and another four-to-eight Phra Rajagana |
| Khwaeng and Chao Avas or the abbots, working at | | | | appointed by the Supreme Patriarch to hold office as |
| the different levels of the governmental system. | | | | nominated members for a term of two years. |
| In 1932 the civil government was changed from an | | | | At the local administration level, the Sangha is divided |
| absolute to a constitutional monarchy. This led to a | | | | into local units of multiregions, regions, provinces, |
| change in the ecclesiastical government in 1941. Under | | | | districts and communes or precincts, similar to the |
| the Act of B.E. 2484, the organization of the Sangha | | | | division of the country by the State for |
| was patterned after the parliamentary government | | | | administrative purposes. There are Chao Gana |
| adopted by the State. The Supreme Patriarch had | | | | Changwat (Sangha Provincial Governor), Chao Gana |
| very limited power. According to the doctrine of the | | | | Amphoe (Sangha District Officer) and Chao Gana |
| separation and the balance of powers, he had to use | | | | Tambol (Sangha Commune Chief) who take full |
| his power through the three organs of the Sangha, | | | | responsibility for their respective administrative |
| namely, the Sangha Sabha as the Legislature, the | | | | divisions in the 73 provinces. In each commune there |
| Gana Sanghamontri as the Executive, and the Gana | | | | are at least five monasteries, each under the charge |
| Vinayadhara as the Judiciary. The Gana Sanghamontri, | | | | of an abbot or Chao Avas. The 73 provinces are |
| or the Council of Ecclesiastical Ministers, consisted of | | | | grouped into 18 ecclesiastical regions which are under |
| ten members headed by the Sangha Nayaka or the | | | | the control of Chao Gana Bhag (Sangha Regional |
| Ecclesiastical Prime Minister. Under the Sangha Nayaka | | | | Governor). The 18 regions are again grouped into five |
| were the four ecclesiastical ministers (Sanghamontri) | | | | multiregions supervised by Chao Gana Yai (Sangha |
| who directed all affairs of the Sangha through the | | | | Multiregional Supervisor), namely, the Central, the |
| four Boards or Ministries, namely, the Board of | | | | North, the South, the East and the Dhammayuttika |
| Administration, the Board of Education, the Board of | | | | Ecclesiastries respectively. |