RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Thailand

Top 3

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Thai Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Thai Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Michael Michai Kitbunchu (b. 1929)

With an HPI of 57.78, Michael Michai Kitbunchu is the most famous Thai Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages on wikipedia.

Michael Michai Kitbunchu (Thai: ไมเกิ้ล มีชัย กิจบุญชู, pronounced [māj.kɤ̂l mīː.t͡ɕʰāj kìt.būn.t͡ɕʰūː, māj.kɤ̂ɫ-, māj.kɤ̂n-]; born 25 January 1929) is a Thai prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Bangkok from 1973 to 2009 and was made a cardinal in 1983. He has been the Protopriest of the College of Cardinals since 14 December 2016. He is the first cardinal from Thailand. He was president of the Thai Episcopal Conference from 1979 to 1982 and from 2000 to 2006.

2. Ajahn Chah (1918 - 1992)

With an HPI of 55.82, Ajahn Chah is the 2nd most famous Thai Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Ajahn Chah (17 June 1918 – 16 January 1992) was a Thai Buddhist monk. He was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition. Respected and loved in his own country as a man of great wisdom, he was also instrumental in establishing Theravada Buddhism in the West. Beginning in 1979 with the founding of Cittaviveka (commonly known as Chithurst Buddhist Monastery) in the United Kingdom, the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah has spread throughout Europe, the United States and the British Commonwealth. The dhamma talks of Ajahn Chah have been recorded, transcribed and translated into several languages. More than one million people, including the Thai royal family, attended Ajahn Chah's funeral in January 1993 held a year after his death due to the "hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend". He left behind a legacy of dhamma talks, students, and monasteries.

3. Kriengsak Kovitvanit (b. 1949)

With an HPI of 49.73, Kriengsak Kovitvanit is the 3rd most famous Thai Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanij (Thai: ฟรังซิสเซเวียร์ เกรียงศักดิ์ โกวิทวาณิช, RTGS: Kriangsak Kowitwanit, pronounced [krīa̯ŋ.sàk kōː.wít.wāː.nít]; born 27 June 1949) is a Thai Catholic prelate and cardinal who served as Archbishop of Bangkok from 2009 to 2024.