Religion
| The national religion of Thailand is Buddhism, more than 95% of the people there are Buddhists, and very devoted ones. Buddhism was founded by the Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama 600B.C. and it first appeared in Thailand during the 3rd century B.C. Sukhothai's King Ramkhamhaeng (1275-1317 A.D.) established Theravada Buddhism as Thailand's dominant religion. Since founding in 1238, Thailand have developed their own culture and religion. Their religion is one of the social successes of Thailand. The three most unifying factors of the independence and integrity of Thailand are the people's freedom-loving spirit, the Thai Throne and the Buddhists Religion. From this, we can see the significance of Buddhism to the Thais. The culture, art, literature, etc, are all affected by Buddhism. Even the King became a Buddhist monk for a while in order to meditate and make merits. Even the respected leader of the country is a Buddhist, all the more would the people be more devoted to Buddhism. In Thailand, there are thousands of temples, these temples are very grand, and are very famous tourists spots. The statues of Buddha are also covered by thin layer of gold, these are all contributed by the devotees. Praying have become an everyday thing of a Thai's life, monks also have respect of many Thais. The religion give the Thais something to depend on mentally, something in which everyone can relate to in Thailand, thus it holds the country together. |
