Within Thai Buddhism, the Supreme Sangha Council stands as the highest governing body of the monastic community, gathering the senior monks who guide the life of the Sangha as a whole. It exercises central administrative authority over monasteries and temples throughout the country, managing the ecclesiastical hierarchy and overseeing the appointment and promotion of senior monks. Through this structure, the Council provides a unified framework within which the diverse local communities of monks can function as a single, nationally recognized Sangha. Its role is not merely bureaucratic; it is intended to safeguard the coherence and stability of the monastic order that lies at the heart of Thai religious life.

Equally significant is the Council’s responsibility for religious leadership and doctrinal guidance. It issues authoritative interpretations of Buddhist doctrine and practice, establishes religious policies and guidelines for monks, and works to maintain doctrinal orthodoxy within Thai Buddhism. By supervising Buddhist education, administering monastic examinations, and overseeing curricula and Pali studies, it shapes the intellectual and spiritual formation of monks. In this way, the Council serves as a guardian of both the letter and the spirit of the tradition, seeking to ensure that the pursuit of merit and liberation is grounded in a shared, disciplined understanding of the Dhamma and Vinaya.

The Council also fulfills important legal and relational functions that bind the Sangha to the wider society. It adjudicates disputes within the monastic community, enforces monastic discipline, and handles cases of misconduct, thereby preserving the moral credibility of the robe. At the same time, it acts as the principal liaison between the Sangha and the state, advising on matters related to Buddhism and representing the monastic community in official contexts. Through this dual role—internal arbiter and external representative—the Supreme Sangha Council helps integrate the monastic order into the national life of Thailand, while seeking to preserve the autonomy and integrity of the path it embodies.