Suwaphan said he would meet with Phanom Sornsilp, director of the National Buddhism Office, on Monday to go over a few details involving legal matters, facts and customs raised by opposition groups.

The name of the abbot of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen in Samut Prakan was tabled at a closed-door meeting of the council on January 5 and approved by its resolution on Monday. The government will not need to set up a committee to scrutinise the list of eligible senior monks since monastic law deems the nomination process as complete when the council agrees on a candidate without any objection, Suwaphan said.

Besides the points to discuss with Phanom, he will also bring up some protesting persons’ attempts to link Somdej Chuang to various outstanding legal cases.

After that, he will consult with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who oversees the National Buddhism Office.

Then he will inform Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha not only about the council’s nomination but also related information.

Since the prime minister will be the one proposing the name for royal endorsement, he needs to be fully briefed to proceed on this to ensure transparency, Suwaphan said.

As for some groups’ objections and alleged threat to file a royal petition, he said he respected their right to voice concerns, as it was a Thai citizen’s duty to protect Buddhism. However, people should use discretion in proceeding with their cause as this is a sensitive matter.