CULTURE ISSUE STCC Thailand

Religion & Social Hierarchy

      Monks Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. Nearly 95% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhismin this country has become integrated with folk beliefs such as ancestor worship as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population. A major influence on Thai Buddhism is Hindu beliefs received from Cambodia, particularly during the Sukhothai period. Certain rituals practiced in modern Thailand, either by monks or by Hindu ritual specialists, areeither explicitly identi ed as Hindu in origin, or are easily seen to be derived from Hindu practices.

    Temple Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand at 4.6%. Thailand’s southernmost provinces – Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and part of Songkhla and Chumphon have dominant Muslim populations, consisting of both ethnic Thai and Malay. The southern tip of Thailand is mostly ethnic Malays. Christians, mainly Catholics, represent 0.75% of the population. A tiny but in¬uential community of Sikhs in Thailand and some Hindus also live in the country’s cities, and are heavily engaged in retail commerce.

      Family Thai society, like many others in Asia, is very hierarchical. Status can be determined by clothing and general appearance, age, job, education, family name, wealth, and social connections. As a general rule, a subordinate listens to, serves, and follows the directions of his or her superior without comment or question. In return, the superior takes care of the subordinate as a mentor of sorts.