Buddhism in Thailand
There are a few different religions that are seen throughout Thailand – Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. Buddhism is the most dominate of the three religions, covering approximately 95% of the country. Every religion begins in a particular location, and then they begin to spread. Buddhism began about 2500 years ago in northeastern India. Siddhartha Gautama is the main ‘founder’ of Buddhism; he is the Buddha. Islam covers a small approximate 4% of the religion in Thailand. Islam began in Mecca, Saudi Arabia around 600 CE. It was founded by the prophet Muhammad. The last religion that shows a very small 1% percent, is Christianity. Christianity originated in Palestine when Jesus, the Messiah was born to a Jewish family, to his mother, the Virgin Mary.
Religion plays a very important role in the life of Thai culture. It is evident that the main religion is Buddhism due to its role in social development and cultural norms. Buddhist’s believe that it is very important to be polite, respectful, and kind which shows in the society of Thailand. They believe in the importance of hierarchy in government, family, and daily life – all of which you see in Thai culture. A majority of “classical Thai art is actually Buddhist art; for example, architecture, sculpture, painting, and early literature” (HelloSiam, 2002). Cultural norms in Thailand which relate to Buddhist beliefs includes a huge symbol of Thailand – the elephant. The Thai elephant is an “enduring symbol of Thailand” and has a special “spiritual significance with its association with Buddhist and Hindu beliefs” (Cavanaugh, 2008).
There are many sacred places associated with the Buddhist religion; unfortunately, none of them are located in Thailand. All of the sacred places resemble from the life of Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. Buddha’s birthplace is one sacred place, located at Lumbini Grove in Nepal. Another location that is sacred would be the place of enlightenment, located at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. The place where Buddha gave his first sermon is an important location to the Buddhist religion – located in Sarnarth, Uttar Pradesh, India. The last sacred place would be the place where Buddha died, Kusinara, India. (URI Kids, 2002).
With Buddhism being the “primary and state religion” (HelloSiam, 2002) by approximately 95% of the population, it is inevitable that there are connections between the government this religion. The Thai constitution has “stipulated that the Thai king must be a Buddhist” (HelloSiam, 2002). Although the primary religion is Buddhism, Thais have always been accepting of religious freedom; for example, the monarchs are upholders of all religions. Through the Religious Affairs Department, every year the Thai government collects funds “to finance religious education and to construct, maintain, and restore monasteries, mosques, and churches” (HelloSiam, 2002).
I believe religion plays a major role in the Thailand today. Thai’s are very expecting of others religious freedom, but Buddhism dominates a majority of beliefs. With Buddhism being the main religion, by a large majority of the population, it is obvious why it plays the largest role in the country. Buddhism is seen in social life, government, cultural norms, art, and just about everywhere throughout Thailand. “Then and even now, Buddhism colors everyday Thai life” (HelloSiam, 2002).
Sources:
Cavanaugh, R. (2008, May 27). The Elephant in Thailand. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/the-elephant-in-thailand/
HelloSiam. (2002). Religion in Thailand. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.hellosiam.com/html/thailand/thailand-religion.htm
URI Kids. (2002). World Religions - Buddhism: Basic Beliefs. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.uri.org/kids/world_budd_basi.htm
This is a photo of the Emarld Buddha located in the Wat Phra Singh Temple on the west side of Chiang Mai. This temple may have been the first monastery to house the Emerald Buddha.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/chiang-mai-wat-phra-singh |
The Wat Phratat Doi Suthep is the holiest shrine in northern Thailand. It crowns the Doi Suthep mountain on the western outskirts of Chiang Mai.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/chiang-mai-wat-phra-that-doi-suthep |
This is an image at Wat Plai Laem, a Buddhist temple in Samui, featuring the striking white 18-arm statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.
http://www.thailand-islands.com/eighteen-arms-buddha-at-wat-plai-laem-temple-koh-samui.html |
This is a world map of the main religions around the world. As you can see, the purple area is labeled as Buddhism, which covers all of Thailand.
Retrieved from: http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-religion-map.htm
Edited with: http://www150.lunapic.com/editor/
Retrieved from: http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-religion-map.htm
Edited with: http://www150.lunapic.com/editor/
Culture of Thailand in the 5 Universals
*In order, corresponding with chart below*
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Map of the Economic Activity in Thailand
![Picture](/uploads/6/0/9/4/60943217/7155696.jpg?437)
This map displays the economic activity within Thailand -- agriculture of rice being the main focus. Rice was the first crop to be cultivated in this region, and is apart of many meals in Thailand.
Thailand - Economic Activity. (n.d.). In Nation Master. Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://maps.nationmaster.com/country/th/1
Statistics of Thai People
Sources:
The World Factbook. (2016, February 25). Retrieved February 29, 2016, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html
The World Factbook. (2016, February 25). Retrieved February 29, 2016, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html
Change Over Time
Figure 1: Population: Traced graph of the total population of Thailand from 1800-2015
Figure 3: Health: Thailand’s child mortality rate (0-5 year olds dying per 1,000 born) compared to the United States from 1800-2015
|
Figure 2: Health: Traced graph of female life expectancy of Thailand, compared to the United States from 1950-2015
Figure 4: Economy: Traced graph of the population of people living in poverty rate (% of people below $2 a day) from 1981-2009
|
Figure 1 shows a traced graph of Thailand’s total population from 1800-2015. The population grows very slowly near the beginning of the graph, then drops excessively around 1920. After this it grows in a stable manner, then starts to grow much more rapidly around 1960. In Figure 2 I chose to do a trace graph of the female life expectancy of Thailand, compared to that of the United States. I thought it would be interesting to see the difference of a female's life expectancy in the place I live, compared to the place I am researching. The earliest piece of information provided is from 1950. Thailand’s female life expectancy begins much lower than the United States, at approximately 53, and continues to grow rapidly until reaching about 78 in 2015. The United States does not have as large of a gap from 1950 to 2015 — starting at approximately 70 and ending at 82.
In Figure 3 I looked at a traced graph from 1800-2015 of Thailand’s child mortality rate —0-5 year olds dying per 1,000 born— compared to the United States. The child morality rate used to be very high for both Thailand and the United States, but over time you can see a change in the circle size — a decrease in child morality population. Today the child mortality rate for both Thailand and the United States is very low. In Figure 4, I chose to graph the poverty levels from the earliest records, 1981, to 2009. Poverty on this graph is considered to be living with $2 a day, maybe less. It is great to see the poverty population decrease over time; in 1981 the poverty population circle is much larger than it is in 2009. This is a great advancement since living on $2 a day in present time would be incredibly difficult. I do wish there was more information and statistics for this graph in particular so I could see the present day poverty population.
Sources:
Gapminder World. (n.d.). Retrieved February 29, 2016, from http://www.gapminder.org/world
Additional Resources:
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Thailand.html
Every Culture is a wonderful resource for additional information on the Culture of Thailand. This site discusses important things such as: Location, Demography, Language, History, Ethnic Relations, Architecture, Food and Economy, Social and Political Structures, Religion, Medicine, and Art in all forms, At the end of the page there is a bibliography listing where they received their information, and a place for questions and comments.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html
I think this site is interesting due to its organization -- instead of being written out in paragraphs, it is bulleted listed under each section. The information that can be found on this site includes Language, Regions and Ethnic Make-Up, Society and Culture, Values, Customs and Etiquette from table manners, to business meetings.
Every Culture is a wonderful resource for additional information on the Culture of Thailand. This site discusses important things such as: Location, Demography, Language, History, Ethnic Relations, Architecture, Food and Economy, Social and Political Structures, Religion, Medicine, and Art in all forms, At the end of the page there is a bibliography listing where they received their information, and a place for questions and comments.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html
I think this site is interesting due to its organization -- instead of being written out in paragraphs, it is bulleted listed under each section. The information that can be found on this site includes Language, Regions and Ethnic Make-Up, Society and Culture, Values, Customs and Etiquette from table manners, to business meetings.
Authentic Tom Yum Goong with Shrimp
Ingredients:
For more information and the recipe for the Creamy Tom Yum version, visit:
|
Serves:
|
Food Culture in Thailand
The ‘Thai cuisine’ we know today – various types of meat and seafood combined with local vegetables, herbs and spices such as garlic and pepper, always served with rice – was established as early as the thirteenth-century (Schmidt, 2014). More than ninety percent of Thailand is Buddhist, so a majority of religious connections to food would be from a Buddhist perspective. Some restrictions include some Buddhists being vegan or avoiding certain meats, such as pork.
In Thailand, food forms a central part of any social occasion – and vice versa. That being said, food sometimes becomes the social occasion itself, or a reason to celebrate. This is due to the friendly, social nature of Thai people, but also because of the way food is ordered and eaten. In Thailand, single dish is not ordered for a single person to eat alone. Instead, the number of people at the table determines the number of dishes ordered, then everyone shares their dishes.
Typically, Thai meals include four main seasonings: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Food in Thailand has been heavily influenced by Indian spices and flavors. Although Thai curry incorporates Indian spices, the two are still distinctly different in flavor, seeing as Thai’s include local spices and ingredients, such as Thai holy basil, lemongrass, and galangal (Thai ginger). Other influences on Thai cooking have come from countries near or surrounding the country – Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, and more. “Such plentiful and vast influences combine to create the complex taste of present-day Thai cooking – one of the fastest-growing and most popular of world cuisines today” (Schmidt, 2014).
Sources:
Schmidt, D. (2014, December 16). Thai Food and Culture. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaifoodandculture/a/foodculture.htm
In Thailand, food forms a central part of any social occasion – and vice versa. That being said, food sometimes becomes the social occasion itself, or a reason to celebrate. This is due to the friendly, social nature of Thai people, but also because of the way food is ordered and eaten. In Thailand, single dish is not ordered for a single person to eat alone. Instead, the number of people at the table determines the number of dishes ordered, then everyone shares their dishes.
Typically, Thai meals include four main seasonings: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Food in Thailand has been heavily influenced by Indian spices and flavors. Although Thai curry incorporates Indian spices, the two are still distinctly different in flavor, seeing as Thai’s include local spices and ingredients, such as Thai holy basil, lemongrass, and galangal (Thai ginger). Other influences on Thai cooking have come from countries near or surrounding the country – Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, and more. “Such plentiful and vast influences combine to create the complex taste of present-day Thai cooking – one of the fastest-growing and most popular of world cuisines today” (Schmidt, 2014).
Sources:
Schmidt, D. (2014, December 16). Thai Food and Culture. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaifoodandculture/a/foodculture.htm