What percentage of Thailand's population practices Buddhism?
Around 92.5 percent of Thailand's population practices Buddhism as of 2021, making Thailand home to the largest Buddhist population in the world, with more than 67 million Buddhists.
Questions about Buddhism in Thailand
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What branch of Buddhism is practiced in Thailand?
The Theravada branch is practiced by most Thai Buddhists, specifically the Sinhalese Mahavihara lineage known in Thailand as Lankavong. The two official monastic orders are the royally-backed Dhammayuttika Nikaya and the larger Maha Nikaya.
When did Buddhism first arrive in Thailand?
Buddhism is believed to have arrived in what is now Thailand as early as the 3rd century BCE, during the reign of the Indian Emperor Ashoka, when monks Sona Thera and Uttara Thera were sent to the region. Archaeological evidence from Mon cities like Nakon Pathom confirms an early Buddhist presence.
Who founded the Dhammayuttika Nikaya in Thailand and why?
King Mongkut founded the Dhammayuttika Nikaya while he was still a monk, before ascending to the throne in 1851. He created the order at Wat Samorai after being influenced by the stricter monastic discipline of Burmese immigrants; the order rejected folk beliefs and emphasized the original Pali Canon.
What happened to Buddhism in Thailand after the 2014 coup?
Following the 2014 coup, the military junta known as the NCPO increased state control over Thai Buddhism. By 2017, the junta changed the law to allow the Thai government to bypass the Sangha Supreme Council and appoint the supreme patriarch directly, and in 2018 passed a law giving the king authority to select members of the Sangha Supreme Council.
What is the Thai forest tradition of Buddhism?
The Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition is a Thai Buddhist movement focused on asceticism and meditation rather than textual scholarship. It was led in the early 20th century by Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto and Ajahn Sao Kantasīlo, and later spread internationally through disciples like Ajahn Chah, whose lineage established monasteries in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the United States.