Buddhism is the main religion of Thailand. With more than 93% of the population as Buddhists, Thailand is one of the few Buddhist countries on the planet. The second most influential religion in Thailand is Islam, followed by Christianity. Hinduism and Sikhism are also noticeable in the country.

With that said, you might be curious about the relationship between Thailand and all religions. Read on and find out more about the religious aspect of Thailand.

What is Thailand’s national religion?

Thailand has Buddhism as its national religion — and that is self-evident. 

As of 2018, more than 93% of the Thai population (around 63.3 million people) are Buddhists. (Source)

According to the National Office of Buddhism, there are more than 42,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand. And in 2020, there were more than 200,000 Buddhist monks. (Source)

And if the statistics still haven’t convinced you that Thailand is a Buddhist country, you need to look at its national flag. 

The locals call their national flag the “Tri-color” flag. There are 3 colors in there: red, white, and blue. The white represents the pureness of Buddhism, while red and blue symbolize the nation and monarchy.

And what does that mean? It means that Buddhism has a massive impact that the locals have to put on their national flag together with the monarchy and the nation itself.

And that might come as no surprise to you. After all, Thailand and Buddhism have been holding hands for a long time. They have seen many ups and downs together. And this relationship seems to be continuing for as long as you can imagine.

How did Buddhism enter Thailand?

Indian history fans would probably know the answer already. But if you’re not one, here’s a quick recap.

Around 307 B.C, King Ashoka the Great of India (325 B.C. – 283 B.C.) decided to expand the influence of Buddhism to the rest of the world. He sent many “missionary” monks to various areas of Asia. And among those areas was the land of Suvarnabhumi.

If Suvarnabhumi sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s the name of Thailand’s largest international airport. However, this name means something different in the ancient days. It was the name referring to a region consisting of what became Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia.

King Ashoka the Great assigned 2 “missionary” monks to Suvarnabhumi: Sona Thera and Uttara Thera. Thanks to their effort, Buddhism finally took root in the area.

Many historians believe that Buddhism first saw its boom in Thailand during the ancient Thawarawadee kingdom (now Nakhon Pathom). Much evidence in Thawarawadee pointed at the flourishing of Buddhism, including the massive Phra Pathom Chedi and the many sculptures of Dharmachakra with crouch deers. (Source)

After that, Buddhism continued its influence over the area. It found its way to the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdom and stuck with the Thai people throughout history.

There was never a monarch in Thai history who wasn’t a Buddhist. The Thai royal family has been an essential advocate of this religion since ancient times. But that didn’t mean they banned other religions. Thai people are free to choose their faith and belief as long as they don’t harm others.

Which sect of Buddhism do Thai people practice?

Like other major world religions, Buddhism is separated into many sects. The two major ones are Theravada and Mahayana. And the one that has more members in Thailand is Theravada.

There are many differences between Theravada and Mahayana. However, the main difference is that the former focus on individual success in reaching Nirvana while the latter focus on collective success.

This means Theravada Buddhists will throw their effort into enhancing their personal spirit and reach Nirvana as soon as possible. Mahayana Buddhists, however, will focus on helping as many people reach Nirvana first and self-achievement later.

As a result, Theravada’s teaching is relatively closer to the original. Mahayana’s doctrine is altered to make Buddhism appear more accessible and appealing to the mass. 

But despite their differences, both sects still aim for their followers to reach the ultimate goal of Nirvana.

However, the interpretation of one religion could vary in many countries — like how Catholicism in England might differ from Catholicism in The United States. And this rule applies to Thailand too. 

Thai Theravada might be completely different from what you have heard of. Why? Because the locals have mixed the “Thainess” into the religion — altering parts of the teaching to fit the existing culture.

Many Thai Buddhists also believe in Hinduism gods. Thai people are well-versed in Hindu Mythology and folklore. And with that knowledge, they blend Hindu elements into Buddhism too.

One of the prominent examples is Chaiwatthanaram Temple. This ancient temple was built to have the same diagram as the Universe of Hinduism. Other examples can be seen in many Hindu shrines across the country. Each shrine is constructed for different gods, and most gods also have multiple shrines.

So, you can almost say that Thai Theravada Buddhism is quite strange. Why? Because Buddhists usually don’t believe in gods or deities. However, Thai Buddhists also believe in and respect multiple Hindu gods, seeking the blessing they offer.

The main religions in Thailand other than Buddhism

As mentioned, Thailand doesn’t force its people to be Buddhists. You can choose your belief, faith, and religion as you please. As a result, other prominent religions also find their roots in this country.

Islam:

Islam is the 2nd most influential religion in Thailand after Buddhism. You can see Muslims around the local market with other Thais without separation.

In 2018, there were around 3.6 million Muslims in Thailand. That was roughly 5% of the population. (Source)

And most Muslims are a member of the Sunni sect — a major sect of Islam alongside the Shia.

With such a massive member, many Muslims founded their own community in major cities of Thailand. However, the largest Muslim community in the country is undoubtedly in the south.

The further south you go in Thailand, the more Muslims you meet. This is assumable because Malaysia (a country with Islam as the official religion) is adjacent to the southern border of Thailand. So, their culture finds its way in.

In these Muslim communities, you can find mosques and Muslim schools to visit. Most Muslims are strict with their religious part of life — especially compared to their Buddhist counterparts. This might be an effect of how Islam teaching is more involved in their daily life than Buddhism — like how they dress and eat.

Christianity:

Even though Christianity is the biggest religion in the world, only 1% of the Thai population — around 767,000 people — are Christians as of 2018. (Source)

Most Thai Christians are of the Catholicism sect. You can see that famous Christian Churches in Thailand are Catholic. For example, Assumption Cathedral and the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception.

Why Christianity didn’t bloom in Thailand is probably the prejudice of Thai ancestors. They view Christianity as a culture of “Farang” (a term Thai people use to refer to white westerners). The difference in outer appearance might be too uncanny for the ancient Thai people to readily accept everything.

But of course, that didn’t mean Thailand banned Christianity. Christian missionaries were still free to roam around, preach, and build churches and schools. However, the influence of the already existing Buddhism was probably too strong to overcome. So, Christianity has never found its boom in Thai society.

Of course, it would be a lie to say that Christianity has zero impact on Thai lives. For example, Thai people celebrate Christmas together with the International New Year. Even though the joyous-religious atmosphere is lackluster, the festivity vibe is still strong.

Other notable religions in Thailand

Of course, besides the big three, other religions also have their place in Thailand. And here are 2 notable examples.

Hinduism:

If you love history, you will know that Hinduism is older than Buddhism. So, it’s no surprise that Hinduism had been in Thailand even before the arrival of Buddhist “missionaries” from India.

Consequently, Hinduism has a special place in Thai people’s hearts.

You can see Hinduism in Thailand similarly to the greek-roman Mythology in Europe. Many Thai folktales and fables have the godly characters of Hindu Myth. 

And not only that. Many temples and religious sites in Thailand have Hindu motifs in Architecture and interior designs — like the wall and ceiling paintings.

So even though Hinduism only manages to maintain less than 1% of the Thai population as its followers, you can say that it still has massive influence over the country.

Many Thai festivals — especially those related to royalty — still have Hindu rituals performed. These festivals include Coronation Day and Royal Ploughing Ceremony.

Sikhism:

Even though Sikhism has only less than 1% of the Thai population as followers, you can still say that this number is significant.

If you haven’t heard of Sikhism, that is okay. Although it’s one of the 5 largest world religions, not many people discuss its origin and teaching — especially in Thailand. If you asked around, some people in this country wouldn’t know what Sikhism is.

Sikhism has the weakest influence on Thai culture among other religions. You can barely see a glimpse of Sikh culture in the Thai lifestyle. And that is the Sikh communities in the country. There are several Sikh schools in major cities of Thailand, and they are exclusive.

Like Muslims, you can tell if someone is a Sikh by looking at their headwear. Both men and women of Sikhism have to wear a signature headdress that covers most of their hair. However, it still doesn’t stop them from living like other Thai Buddhists, Muslims, or Christians.

Now that you get the overview of Thailand’s religious scene, you might want to look at something less defined but more superstitious.

Thailand and paganism

Technically, Paganism is not a religion. However, its influence over Thailand doesn’t differ much from other firmer beliefs.

Nowadays, most Thai people are still superstitious and believe in spirit, magic, and shamanism. And this unique faith is reflected in numerous ways. Here are some notable examples.

• Many Thai families have a small pagan shrine in front of their houses. They believe that the guardian spirit of their household needs a proper living space, so they build a house for these spirits. They also occasionally offer food and drinks to these spirits.

• Many people in Thailand claim to be shamans or mediums and can communicate with the spirit. While the legitimacy of these people is questionable, you can’t deny the positive effect they have on people’s lives. They can give guidance and lead people to a better life path.

Of course, scammers exist among these so-called spiritualists. So if you want to get involved, be aware of the risk.

• The fear of ghosts is common in Thai kids. Even some adults are still afraid of ghosts. They dread the idea of evil spirits harassing or harming their lives.

The intriguing thing about ghosts is that Thai Buddhists believe certain sutras or religious rituals can ward off evil. Even though these spirits have nothing to do with Buddhism, the locals still think Buddhist practice can help them.

Thailand religion, Thai beliefs

At this point, you can probably see that religions aren’t only about teachings and doctrines but also how people interpret them. That is why there are so many sects in each religion. And that is why Thai Buddhism differs from those of Tibet and others.

Even though Thailand is Buddhist, it still has space for other religions. And you can see the overlapping of different beliefs and faiths in this country. So, in the end, you can almost say that Thailand has its own belief system. 

It’s definitely Buddhism-heavy, but also something else too.

Like always, if you want to discover more about Thailand, stay guided with ThaiGuider. You might learn something you never knew about this unique country.

The post Thailand Religion: Buddhism & 4 Popular Faiths You Will See appeared first on ThaiGuider.

According to estimates, over 90% of the Thai population identifies as Buddhists, and most of them take their religious beliefs seriously. So, to prevent misunderstandings with the locals, it’s helpful to understand the basic code of ethics revered by Buddhists.

What is forbidden in Buddhism?

In Buddhism, the most well-known rules of forbidden acts are known as the five precepts or five rules of training. (Source)

These are the rules guided by the Buddha to help people behave morally and ethically in their lives. It is believed that following these precepts will allow people to achieve enlightenment and reach Nirvana.

Many Buddhists in Thailand follow the forbidden acts more seriously during the Vassa or Buddhist Lent, a period of the Three-Lunar-Month that usually starts around August and ends in October.

The 5 precepts

The ‘five precepts’ advise against committing the following five acts:

1. Refrain from taking life (not killing)

This includes all lives, including the animals. And this rule might cause some confusion as to whether Buddhism forbids eating meat or that all Buddhists need to be vegetarian. This is actually not the case; Buddhists do not necessarily need to be vegetarians – even monks and nuns.

Buddhism forbids making others suffer from malicious intent. Monks and nuns can eat meat as long as they are pre-cooked by others.

For other Buddhists, eating meat is not explicitly forbidden by the religion, although many Buddhists in Thailand, and other Buddhist countries in South East Asia, such as Myanmar, avoid eating meat during the Buddhist Lent period, as doing so is believed to bring good karma.

Many restaurants and 7-Eleven shops in Thailand sell vegetarian meals during these periods as special seasonal meals.

2. Refrain from taking what is not given (not stealing)

Aside from obvious crimes of theft, this also means refraining from borrowing something and also not returning it to the owner. And this rule applies to even family members. Taking something without informing the owner is considered ‘sinning.’

Local people also believe that borrowing money and not giving it back to the lender will make them indebted to them even in the next life. It is also believed that stealing something from the temples or pagodas will bring the worst karma to life and must be avoided at any cost.

3. Refrain from committing sexual misconduct and adultery

The five precepts forbid people from committing adultery or sexual misconduct. It has been stated that lusting over someone already married or in an established relationship is forbidden by religion.

That’s why, in Thailand, having affairs is strongly condemned by society, and monogamy has been adopted into Thai law since 1935, making polygamy marriages unofficial.

However, interestingly, polygamy still exists in Thailand and is also accepted as long as the involved parties agree. Feeling attracted to monks or nuns is considered a big sin, and there were tales from ancient times about people who had to go to hell for lusting over monks or nuns, even for a few seconds.

This rule also applies to situations where one lusts over someone they should not, even when they do so just in their mind and not verbally or physically.

4. Refrain from false speech (not lying)

Yes, telling lies is prohibited, although there are arguably so many gray areas. ‘White lies’ are considered acceptable as those are told without any ill intentions.

Another belief among Buddhist people is that cursing or saying profanities will lessen the good karma as saying those ‘dirty words’ will make one’s guardian angel stay away from the person.

But in reality, it is not easy to avoid telling lies or cursing at all, so most people will try to keep this precept on special occasions such as Buddhist Day or during religious festival periods.

So, try not to curse (or at least out loud) when visiting the temples to avoid being stared at by the locals.

5. Refrain from taking intoxicants that lead to heedlessness

Buddhism explicitly forbids monks and nuns from drinking alcohol and taking intoxicants such as drugs. It is believed that doing so will cloud the mind and cause misjudgments to be made.

For ordinary people who are not monks or nuns, drinking alcohol is not explicitly forbidden by the religion, but it is not encouraged either.

In fact, 7-Eleven shops in Thailand do not sell alcohol on special days related to religion, such as the full moon day of Buddhist Lent, as it is illegal to buy and sell alcohol during Asahna Bucha and Khao Phansa days in Thailand.

And although not explicitly forbidden by the religion, some Buddhists do not drink alcohol for their religious beliefs. Therefore, it’s better to ask before offering drinks to Thai people during social events.

Other rules and traditions

Followed by Buddhists

There are other rules and traditions followed by Buddhists, apart from the five precepts. A few of them are as follows:

Women are not allowed in certain areas of temples

This rule has caused a lot of controversies among non-Buddhists and non-Asians and has seemed like discrimination against women. However, this rule was made because of the superstitions that have existed since long ago.

Many local people believe in the north and northeast of Thailand that their ancestors have kept the divinities and relics buried under the ground of these historic places, such as temples and holy pagodas.

And such areas are claimed as ‘Holy areas’ or ‘Holy grounds,’ and only authorized persons or monks, who are males, are allowed to be there. Hence, restrictions are made only for women in those historical places, such as the relic in Wat Phra That Hariphunchai in Lamphoon and Wat Prathat Lampang Luang in Lampang. (Source)

In Thailand, women are also not allowed to touch monks directly as such actions might cause distractions to the monks in their journey to reach enlightenment. Monks usually receive or give things to women by using a cloth or by their attendants.

So if you are a woman, you need to be careful about this when visiting the temples or encountering the monks in Thailand, even when you are not a Buddhist.

Looming above Buddha statue or image

Yes, even standing above (or worse, stepping over) a photo or painting of Buddha is considered very offensive to the Buddhists. That’s why using Buddha statues or images as decoration is highly condemned in Thailand.

If you visit Ayutthaya, you will see signs that say ‘Do not climb over’ or ‘Do not cross’ at certain places, as there are Buddha statues in the lower areas of those places.

Pointing at Buddha Image with your feet or lying down with your feet facing forward to the Buddha statue and image is also considered very offensive and disrespectful. It is believed that the feet are the dirtiest parts of the human body.

▸ READ MORE about Thai etiquette and Dos and Don’ts in Thailand here.

Followed by monks and nuns

Some rules are specifically made for monks and nuns as they are to lead lives where there is no lust or wants for physical things and pleasures. Although ordinary people do not necessarily need to follow these rules, here are a few of them if you are curious to find out.

Monks and nuns need to shave their hair

According to Buddha’s rule, a monk or nun is not allowed to grow his or her hair beyond a certain length or for a certain time period.

This is because becoming a Buddhist monk or nun means accepting an ascetic lifestyle. Shaving their heads symbolizes giving up on worldly attachments to cut off self-interest and attachment to personal appearance. (Source)

And also, shaving their hair gives the monks and nuns more time to focus on reaching enlightenment and Nirvana, which are the ultimate goals of any Buddhist in life.

Therefore, Buddhist monks and nuns will usually shave their heads at least once a fortnight or month, and sometimes more frequently than that, depending on the time it takes for one to grow out their hair.

They also need to use a razor of their own, which is one of the requisites for every monk and nun, and they cannot also use other tools such as scissors.

Dyeing or plucking out the grey hair is also not allowed as well, and as most Buddhist monks do not usually check their appearance in mirrors, they are more likely not to notice the grey hair as well.

Brushing or combing the hair or applying any treatment to the hair, except for medical purposes, is also forbidden. This means that they still have attachments to their personal appearances, which is considered a form of lust. (Source)

In Thailand, Buddhist monks also need to shave their eyebrows, although it is not required in other Buddhist countries like Myanmar.

Monks and nuns do not eat solid food after 12 noon

This is often known as Buddhist Fasting. It is not allowed to eat after midday because monks and nuns reduce as many distractions and physical attachments as possible to focus on meditations and study Buddha’s Dhamma.

So, for them, food is more of just a source of energy to survive and not something to be enjoyed, and they only consume just enough to get energy for their daily activities and hence, only eat breakfast and lunch before midday.

Also, monks and nuns need to rely on other people for cooking as they cannot buy or cook raw meat, and as a way to reduce the burden on people, this practice is applied.

The last possible reason is that monks and nuns lived in the forests or away from civilians in the past and needed to travel every day, so if they were to travel at night, it might endanger them. (Source)

Monks are not allowed to handle money directly

According to Vinaya rules, a monk cannot touch or handle the money directly. Therefore, most of the monks need to have an attendant-of-sort called Kappiya who will oversee and manage the money for the monks on their behalf. It may seem inconvenient to do such a thing, especially in modern times.

However, this rule was made to protect and remind the monk to be mindful of dangerous actions as that can lead his monkhood, also known as Bhikkhu life, to be compromised. (Source)

However, nowadays, this rule applies on a case-by-case basis as things have advanced and monks need to adapt to the modern world.

▸ READ MORE about Thai traditions here.

Respect goes a long way.

These rules may sound complicated and complex to follow for non-Buddhists, especially Westerners, but in Buddhism, these are more like guidelines to live a moral and ethical life.

It cannot be said that all Buddhists follow these rules at all times, although some actually do so. But most Buddhists are very mindful of these forbidden acts.

Therefore, by knowing these forbidden acts, you can avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding with the local people. It is always good to be respectful of any religion when you are in their country.

Like always, if you want to discover more about Thailand, stay guided by ThaiGuider. You might learn something you never knew about this unique country.

▸ CHECK OUT all our guides on Thai Culture here.

The post What Is Forbidden in Buddhism? (Know the 5 Precepts) appeared first on ThaiGuider.