About as high a Buddhist monk can get short of Supreme Patriarch: Somdet Phra Ratchakhana (สมเด็จพระราชาคณะ) is one of the highest ecclesiastical ranks in the Thai Buddhist Sangha, sitting just below the Supreme Patriarch. Often translated as "Patriarch-equivalent" or simply "Somdet," it is an honorary rank bestowed by the King of Thailand to exceptionally senior monks for their lifelong contributions to Buddhism. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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