Complete Story of Buddhism in Thailand: How Thailand became a Buddhist Country
Posted on September 6th, 2022
Bodhisattva
Thailand is home to the second largest Buddhist population of more than 63 million, only after China which has the largest Buddhist population in the world. The country is dotted with more than 41000 Buddhist temples and monasteries which house around 350,000 monks. Buddhism has shaped every aspect of the social and cultural life of the people for more than 1500 years. People around the world benefited from the different living Buddhist traditions of Thailand, including the ascetic Forest Tradition. For Centuries Thailand has successfully preserved a strong tradition of early Buddhism. But how did Buddhism reach Thailand? Did Buddhism first arrive during the third century BC, through one of the missions sent by King Ashoka? Or does Buddhism reach much later from Sri Lanka or Myanmar? We will explore these questions and also explore the amazing journey of Buddhism in Thailand.