This thesis offers several significant contributions for a better understanding
of the complex and uneasy relationship between women’s
spiritual quests and the Sangha (male monk order) establishment in
Thailand. First, it weaves together historical sources, relevant research,
in-depth interviews, news coverage, personal observations of
the researcher as she participated in ordination rituals, seminars and
international conferences. The juxtaposition of these different materials
results in a kaleidoscopic picture of the dynamics of this complex
subject in the recent history of Thai Buddhism. The personal interviews
illuminate the deep historical roots of the challenge and illustrate
the long history of denial of full ordination to women.