Bhikkhuni Suannani

Thailand

Venerable Bhikkhuni Suananni was born in 1944. She holds a B.S. in Education from Bicol University, Philippines and a M.A. in Education from the University of Philippines. She also holds a Certificate in English for International Relations from Oxford University, England. Presently, at the age of 68, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Buddhism at the University of Kelaniya in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Professionally, she served as a lecturer at Udon Thani Rajabhat University and at Khon Kaen University’s College of Education. In addition she was the Chief of the International Relations Section of the National Education Commission for the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand.

Her research specialized in the fields of: Education, Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Special Education and Non-Formal Education, and brought her all over the world to 44 different countries. In addition, she was an author, a coordinator of international educational seminars with 121 participating member countries, a coordinator of the King’s scholarship for AIT students in the Post-Graduate Program and the Mitsui Bank Scholarship for university students, as well as, a national policy planner for 22 years.

Beyond the educational domain, in the private sector, she served as the President of TRM Engineering Consultancy Co., LTD. Bangkok, and as the Project Director of Tipawan Orchard, Tipawan Teakwood, and Tipawan Country Home in Petchaboon.

She served as a co-teacher in Dhamma training at Photisompon Temple in Udon Thani. She founded and serves as President of Tipawan Dhamma Training Center in Petchaboon, teaching Dhamma for 20 years to more than 1,000 participants. She and her husband practiced Dhamma step-by-step according to the tradition of the forest monk, Ajahn Mun, focusing on the Maha Sati Patthana 4. Thus, on the same day, both she and her husband ordained – she as a Samaneri and her husband as a Bhikkhu. She subsequently went forth as a Bhikkhuni.