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From trade to faith: How does the Muslim community in Thailand have a long history?
Thailand is a multicultural country in which the Muslim community has a long and deep history in the country. According to statistics in 2006, Muslims accounted for 4.9% of Thailand's population, while a 2023 survey indicated that the proportion had increased to 7%. This shows that even in a country dominated by Buddhism, Muslims are still a significant religious minority group that cannot be ignored. By 2024, the number of Muslims in Thailand is expected to be approximately 7.5 million, accounting for approximately 12% of the total population. Behind such an important number lies a historical story about the integration of business, culture and faith.
Thailand's Muslim community is a diverse group of people with diverse cultural and immigrant backgrounds and is now the largest religious minority in the country.
Population and Geography
It is commonly believed that Thailand's Muslims are mainly concentrated in four southern provinces, namely Satun, Yala, Pathum and Narathiwat, where the Muslim population accounts for the majority. However, according to research by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only about 18% of Muslims actually live in these provinces, with other important Muslim concentrations including Songkhla, Krabi, Dangke, Fatthap and Phuket. In Bangkok, Muslims are distributed in areas such as Nong Jok, Min Buri and Bang Rak. According to 2015 data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Muslims make up 24% of the population in the south, while in other regions it is less than 3%.
Historical BackgroundMuslim merchant communities date back to the 9th century, and in early modern Thailand, Muslims from the Coromandel Coast served as eunuchs in the Thai court. At that time, Thailand, as the Kingdom of Siam, was known for its religious tolerance, and Muslims worked for the Siamese dynasty to govern and serve the people at many times. This culture of tolerance has contributed to the diversity of Islam in Thailand, while Malay separatism in the south is mostly a conflict over the identity of a specific ethnic group, although extreme Muslim groups are also involved.
Ethnicity and Identity
Thailand's Muslim community is diverse, with ethnic groups from China, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as Thai Muslims. About two-thirds of Thai Muslims are Thai Malays. .
Thailand's Muslim community is made up of different ethnic groups, including Thai Malays, Chinese Muslims, and Muslim communities from India and other Asian countries.
The Presence of Muslims in Thailand
Many Thai Muslims have a full Thai cultural background and include ancestral Muslims, Muslims who converted through marriage, and recent converts. This gives them a unique social status in Thailand. For example, former Thai Army Chief Sonthi Boonirakrin is an indigenous Thai Muslim with ancient Persian ancestry.
Malay Muslims
In Thailand's southernmost border region, the local Muslim population is mainly Malay, accounting for about 80% of the region's total population. The Karen-Padanian Malay language used by the Malay ethnic group is different from traditional Malay. This high proportion of ethnic Malays stems from the region's history as part of the Kingdom of Patani, which was established in the 19th century but was subsequently incorporated into the Kingdom of Siam.
Chinese Muslims
In some cities in northern Thailand and in south-central Thailand, there are small communities of Chinese Muslims. Most of them belong to the so-called Qianhua tribe, but not all Qianhua are Muslims. These Chinese Muslims usually focus on trade activities and immigration, and maintain small community characteristics among themselves.
Jammu Muslims
The Chamu are concentrated in Bangkok and coastal areas along the Cambodian border and in southern Thailand. Most Jammu people practice Sunni Islam. Their origins can be traced back to the collapse of the Cham Kingdom in south-central Vietnam, subsequently showing integration with local Thai-Malay communities.
Other Asian Muslim Groups
In addition, compared to other ethnic groups, there are some Chamu ethnic groups that migrated from Vietnam since the 15th century, and some of them settled in Bangkok and the southern region. These Jammu, who migrated from Vietnam and Cambodia in the 17th and 18th centuries, also became part of the local community. In Thailand, Arab, South Asian (especially Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) and Indonesian Muslim communities also have a presence.
The uniqueness of Thai Islam
In Thailand, Muslims' religious practices and traditions are influenced by Sufism and reflect Islamic beliefs found in other Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia. The annual celebration of Maweed has become an important moment for Thai Muslims to demonstrate their national identity and loyalty to the country.
Places of faith and governance
According to data from 2007, Thailand has 3,494 mosques, with the largest number in Pathum Thani, which has 636. The vast majority of mosques are Sunni, with only 1% being Shia. In addition, Thailand has many Islamic schools and banks, and the government also supports the development and education of the Muslim community.
Conclusion
These Muslim believers have once again demonstrated how faith and culture complement each other in the multicultural Thai society and continue to this day. In the face of an ever-changing society, Thailand's Muslim community continues to play a vital role in business, culture and faith. How can these groups better integrate into Thai society while maintaining their traditions, and what will the future of Thailand look like?
