page_title: Religion in Thailand
hierarchical_section_title: Religion in Thailand
caption_attribution_description: English: Wat Phra Kaew, viewed from the Outer Court of the Grand Palace, just inside the Wisetchaisi Gate. Also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, it is Thailand's primary Buddhist temple. Located within the grounds of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew is technically a royal chapel, as unlike regular temples it does not include living quarters for Buddhist monks.Edit by me, User:TSP, of File:Wat_Phra_Kaew_by_Ninara_(33271955941).jpg as permitted by the CC-BY licence of that file.
context_page_description: Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand, which is practiced by 95% of the population. There is no official state religion in the Thai constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Thai citizens, though the king is required by law to be a Theravada Buddhist. The main religion practised in Thailand is Buddhism, but there is a strong undercurrent of Hinduism with a class of brahmins having sacerdotal functions. The large Thai Chinese population also practises Chinese folk religions, including Taoism. The Chinese religious movement Yiguandao spread to Thailand in the 1970s and it has grown so much in recent decades to come into conflict with Buddhism; in 2009, it was reported that each year 200,000 Thais convert to the religion. Many other people, especially among the Isan ethnic group, practise Tai folk religions. A significant Muslim population, mostly constituted by Thai Malays, is present especially in the southern regions.
context_section_description: Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand, which is practiced by 95% of the population. There is no official state religion in the Thai constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Thai citizens, though the king is required by law to be a Theravada Buddhist. The main religion practised in Thailand is Buddhism, but there is a strong undercurrent of Hinduism with a class of brahmins having sacerdotal functions. The large Thai Chinese population also practises Chinese folk religions, including Taoism. The Chinese religious movement Yiguandao (Thai: Anuttharatham) spread to Thailand in the 1970s and it has grown so much in recent decades to come into conflict with Buddhism; in 2009, it was reported that each year 200,000 Thais convert to the religion. Many other people, especially among the Isan ethnic group, practise Tai folk religions. A significant Muslim population, mostly constituted by Thai Malays, is present especially in the southern regions.
caption: Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred Theravada Buddhist temple in Bangkok
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