Religion in Thailand

A significant minority Muslim population, mostly constituted by Thai Malays, is present especially in the southern regions.

Thai law officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism.

Despite being practised freely, these religions have no official recognition, and their followers are counted as Theravada Buddhists in statistical studies.

Thailand's southernmost provinces - Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun, Trang, and part of Songkhla - have large Muslim populations, consisting of both ethnic Thai and Malay.

A small but influential community of Sikhs and some Hindus, mostly live in the country's cities and are engaged in retail commerce.

Besides this group of "traditional Hindus", Thailand in its earliest days was under the rule of the Khmer Empire, which had strong Hindu roots, and the influence among Thais remains even today.

[88] The popular Ramakien epic based on Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka is very similar to the Hindu Ramayana.

There were at that time no gurdwaras (Sikh temples), and religious prayers were held in private homes every Sunday and on gurpurab days.

It stands today in Bangkok's Pahurat area and imitates the Golden Temple in Amritsar Punjab, India.

During the festive season, devotees will abstain from meat and mortification of the flesh by Chinese mediums is also commonly seen.

Such traditions were developed during the 19th century in Phuket by the local Chinese with influences from Malay and Southern Thai culture.

Historically, it has played a significant role in the modernisation of Thailand, notably in social and educational institutions.

Although not officially recognised, missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have been active in Thailand for decades, though their converts are comparatively few.

The government has a quota for the number of foreign missionaries working in the country: 1,357 Christian, six Muslim, 20 Hindu, and 41 Sikh.