History of Wat Suan Dok Part 8: World War II Turmoil, the Legacy of Luang Pu Kham Saen, Elevation to Royal Monastery, and the Lanna Buddhist University
The finale of Wat Suan Dok: Surviving WWII, the revival by Luang Pu Kham Saen, MCU Buddhist University, and its elevation to Royal Monastery.
The Ordeal of World War II and Luang Pu Kham Saen's Revival
Following the monumental reconstruction led by Khru Ba Srivichai, Wat Suan Dok faced severe disruption during World War II (1942 / B.E. 2485). Located directly adjacent to the Chiang Mai military airfield, the monastery became a perilous combat zone. Monks and novices were evacuated, leaving the vast sanctuary deserted. Looters exploited this void by climbing the great stupa to sever and steal its antique golden crown umbrella (Chat).
With peace restored in 1946 (B.E. 2489), the northern monastic council invited Luang Pu Kham Saen Inthachakko (Phra Khru Sukhanthasin), a renowned master of Vipassana meditation from Wat Pa Phrao Nai, to assume the abbacy. Alongside devoted lay elders, Luang Pu Kham Saen crafted a temporary spire umbrella, built brick perimeter walls around the central reliquary, and constructed new monastic residences. In 1958 (B.E. 2501), Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram allocated a state restoration subsidy, completing the historic renovation of the Phra Chao Kao Tue Vihara. In 1965 (B.E. 2508), a majestic nine-tiered gold umbrella was hoisted atop the great pagoda in a five-day grand celebration attended by clergy from 250 northern monasteries. Luang Pu Kham Saen guided the community until his peaceful passing in 1976.
From Lanna Buddhist College to Royal Monastery
During the administration of Phra Khru Sri Pariyatyanurak (Fai Ñāṇavuḍḍhi) (1983–1988), monastic education entered a transformative era. Collaborating with faculty members from Chiang Mai University, he co-founded the "Lanna Buddhist College" on 1 March 1984, extending tertiary degree education to northern monks and novices. This pioneering institution was soon integrated into Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) as its Chiang Mai Campus, cultivating thousands of scholars across Buddhist studies and the humanities.
Under his successor, Phra Khru Dhamma Senanuwat (Wann Khemacārī)—a scholar holding advanced degrees from Banaras Hindu University in India and a former missionary monk in Washington, D.C.—the monastery modernized its infrastructure, paving marble courtyards, constructing multi-story university facilities, and restoring royal landmarks. The monastery's glorious renaissance culminated on 10 July 1990 (B.E. 2533), when King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) officially elevated Wat Suan Dok to the prestigious status of a Royal Monastery of the Third Class, cementing its permanent stature as the spiritual and intellectual crown of Chiang Mai.