Buddhism in Thailand

Thailand is well known in the West as an exotic holiday destination, a land of sunny beaches and seedy bars. However, there is of course a lot more to this fascinating country than you will find between the pages of a tourist brochure or the rather negative media coverage that the country sometimes receives.

Thailand is a devoutly religious country. Over 90% of Thai people are Buddhist, and Buddhism is extremely important in the nation as a whole. A further 5% of the population are Muslims, most of whom reside in the south of the nation, which borders on Muslim Malaysia. The remaining 5% is made up of Christians and other minority religious groups.

In Thailand’s traditional calendar, years are even calculated from the death of Buddha, around 2500 years ago. The Thai calendar is therefore 543 years ahead of the Christian calendar. Buddhism is part of many aspects of daily life, from weddings and funerals to birthdays, moving house, and even buying a new car.

There are around 27,000 Buddhist temples throughout the country, mostly outside of the large cities, and Buddhist monks are very highly respected in Thai society. Many men become monks for short periods ranging from a few days to two or three months as a rite of passage once they pass the age of 20. Even the king and crown prince have spent short periods in monasteries, and this tradition seems set to continue.

Adapted from BBC News, January 2002

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