Thailand
Religious beliefs in Thailand
Religion plays a very important role in Thai’s life. The national religion of Thailand is Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism. Sukhothai's King Ramkhamhaeng organized the Theravada Buddhism as Thailand's governing religion. This Buddhism is exercised in Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka in the 1980s. Thai are also attached to Mahayana Buddhism. Other religions consist of Christianity, Taoism, Islam and Animism and only Islam was classified to Southern Thai but not inhibit.
The king must be a Buddhist under the constitution of Thailand. Both the government and the king support morally or spiritually all the religions approved by the people. Ever year the Department of Religious Affairs allocates financial resources to spend in religious education and to build and reestablished mosques, churches and monasteries. The Government also exercised of not admitting any modern or unregistered religious groups or organizations. But these groups are still authorized to live and work independently.
In Thailand, the second largest religious group is Muslim. Southernmost provinces in Thailand such as Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and part of Songkhla Chumphon have been controlling Muslim populations, consisting of religious of Thai and Malay. Most of Muslim lives separately from non-Muslims communities.
It was European missionaries who introduced Christianity in Thailand in 16th centuries. At that time Catholic missionaries are joined by the Baptists, Protestants of the Presbyterian and Seventh-day Adventist sects. The first printing press in Thailand was initiated by Christians. The estimated population of Christians is 0.5% of Thailand’s total population.
