Laow Panyasiri

Laow Panyasiri (born 7 August 1960) is a Thai Buddhist monk and the abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London.

Name
Laow's birth name was Laow Pracharart (เหลา ประชาราษฎร์; ). His Dhamma name, in the Pali language, is Paññāsiri (ปญฺญาสิริ; ), and his monastic title is Phra Ratchawithetpanyakhun (พระราชวิเทศปัญญาคุณ).

He is commonly known as Chao Khun Laow (เจ้าคุณเหลา). Chao Khun is a colloquial title for monks with the rank of Phra Rachakhana.

Life
Laow was born on 7 August 1960 in Phayu, Sisaket, Thailand. He was ordained as a novice monk (sāmaṇera) at Wat Mahathat in Bangkok on 20 December 1973, at the age of 13. His higher ordination (upasampadā) took place on 13 July 1980, at the age of 19, with Chodok Yanasitthi as his preceptor (upajjhāya).

He received his doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2004, with a thesis entitled The British Practice of Theravada Buddhism.

He has established a number of temples in Britain, including a temple at Fort Austin in Plymouth.

On 30 January 2023, the Sangha Supreme Council appointed him as the new abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon, London. He had been the acting abbot since 25 November 2022.