Abstract
Thailand continues to undergo a process of political modernization, moving from a feudal to a fully-fledged and modernized capitalist society. This is a process that has involved numerous missteps and backward turns – most recently the 2006 military coup and the 2010 massacres – and the dissolution of previously existing cultural and social bonds. Marketization of all regions of the country has brought about changes in land ownership, social relations and gender relations but has not, as yet, brought about changes in religious beliefs or in the relationships between people of different belief systems. The majority Buddhist philosophy has been invigorated by emphasis placed on figures such as the goddess Guan Yin, who is eminently appropriate for the age of plenty, while animist hill tribes people incorporate new ways of life into a flexible and accommodating belief system. Only in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia, where the majority of people are ethnic Malay Muslims, is there a division between people based on religion. A faction of people in the border regions have been agitating for autonomous rule or, at least, an end to unfair and unpleasant treatment by high-handed representatives of the Thai state and their mandate to enforce the longstanding triumvirate of Thai language, Buddhist belief and respect for the monarchy as defining characteristics of citizens. Agitation has led to acts of terrorism and suppression including atrocities on both sides. These divisions are not reflected in any other part of the country, although plenty of other symptoms of division are.
Highlights
The majority of Thai people, well in excess of 90%, profess Buddhism as their religion
Thai Buddhism is Theravadin in nature, which places an emphasis on doing good deeds (‘tam boon’) as a means of approaching enlightenment (‘nibbana’) and the early morning alms-giving to monks as a form of tam boon is a common sight throughout the country
The role of the monks as guardians and transmitters of valuable information is important in Thai society as it is throughout most of the Mekong Subregion
Summary
The majority of Thai people, well in excess of 90%, profess Buddhism as their religion. Thai Buddhism is Theravadin in nature, which places an emphasis on doing good deeds (‘tam boon’) as a means of approaching enlightenment (‘nibbana’) and the early morning alms-giving to monks as a form of tam boon is a common sight throughout the country. Buddhism in Thailand remains very diverse in nature because of the importation of foreign elements and practices and because of the syncretic nature of Thai belief. The state, too, has employed syncretic approaches to its use of religion as a means of promoting its own interests This is true in the case of Brahmanical rituals and ceremonies such as the annual buffalo-ploughing event that is used to foretell agricultural conditions prevalent in the Kingdom for the forthcoming year. Brahmanical rituals are known to be closely tied to the role and nature of kingship and contain the sub-text of caste and hierarchies (Kuanpoonpol, 1990)
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