Religious beliefs in Phuket
Thailand is overwhelmingly Buddhist, with more than 90 per cent following the Therevada sect of this ancient religion, but few people are aware that much of Southern Thailand is predominantly Moslem and this includes Phuket. There is also a significant community of Chinese descent who practice ancestral worship and all three beliefs peacefully co-exist on the island. Although Phuket has less religious attractions than other parts of Thailand, a visit to one of the exquisite Buddhist temples during your stay certainly will be an enlightening experience.
Buddhism
From the moment you step off the plane in Thailand you notice the temples and Buddha images everywhere; indeed Thailand is the world’s largest Buddhist country. Phuket, with its long history of multi-cultural trading isn’t quite as soaked in religion but it still plays an important role in the lives of many of the island’s residents and temples are found all over the island. It is difficult to separate Thai culture and Buddhism, for the two are intricately woven and the religion has been the motivation for cultural expression ever since it was widely encouraged during the Sukhothai period.
The practice of Buddhism here has many cultural identities almost exclusively associated with Thailand and the Theravada (Hinyana – small wheel) sect of ‘old school’ Buddhism practiced in this country. Many of the mystical and mythical aspects of everyday Thai dhamma (Buddhist practice) have their roots in Hinduism, such as the symbolic characters and habits within the religion. Thais, young and old, can frequently be seen offering a quick ‘wai’ of respect to Buddhist symbols such as chedis, Buddhas, monk statues and spirit houses. They demonstrate the widespread Thai belief in making merit with the many spirits that are intertwined with their Buddhist beliefs. Likewise, they place superstitious importance on wearing amulets acquired from revered temples.
Thai people across the nation make frequent temple visits, offering food, incense sticks, lotus flowers and money to make merit, support the temple and monks and receive fortuitous blessings for everything from a new motorbike to a business venture. It is traditional for all young men to spend a month, at least, in the temple as a novice monk, and monks are invited to preside over most ceremonies. Even the Thai calendar is reckoned from the time of Gautama Buddha, 543 years before Christ.
Buddhism: a quick introduction
With its locus in Asia, Buddhism was founded about 2500 years ago upon the teachings of an Indian prince, Siddharta Gautama, otherwise known the Buddha (enlightened one). After years of meditation and austere wandering in search of truth he eventually achieved a state of ‘nirvana’ through strict emptying of his mind using meditation techniques. In such a state one finally and wholly lets go of all desire and thus any suffering arising from it. Part of this truth was the concept of impermanence (annica), and Buddhists believe that their ‘souls’ are continually trapped in a cycle of re-incarnation or rebirth, which they strive to break.
Central to understanding Buddhist doctrine is the recognition of suffering (known as dukkha) and out of this arises the Four Noble Truths:
- That there is suffering.
- That suffering is impermanent and will eventually cease.
- That suffering is a consequence of desire, usually created by ourselves.
- That suffering can be brought to an end through practicing of the dhamma.
The dhamma, or ‘Buddhist life’, encourages the Eightfold Path of right understanding, thought, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, attention and concentration, towards reducing or eliminating suffering.
Unlike Christianity, Buddhism doesn’t focus entirely on a supreme creator, but rather places emphasis on living in the present moment and upholding a number of precepts which are quite similar to the Ten Commandments. In practice, many modern Thais tend to lose sight of the pure teachings and motivations of Buddhism and habitually follow the rituals. ‘Church’ isn’t attended weekly but rather private trips are made to the temple regularly, as Thais place a lot of believe in merit making and appeasing of spirits. However, as with other religions, the Temple plays an important role in the Sangha (community), providing moral judgment, support and welfare, and sometimes even education and officialdom.
Around about the time of Christ there was a great schism in Buddhism, splitting the religion into two distinctive practices. The Therevada Buddhism which is largely practiced in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia belongs to the Hinyana (lesser wheel) sect which observes the original, pure form. The Mahanyana (greater wheel) sect is a reformed style of Buddhism which has resulted in the Zen Buddhism practiced predominantly in Japan and the seven sects of Tibetan Buddhism, some of which are being popularised in the West.
Islam in Phuket and Thailand
There is also a significant portion of Thai Moslems living in Phuket and if you travel south towards the border provinces the population is almost entirely Islamic and Malay speaking. None-the-less they remain essentially Thai in character and tend to be far less strict or pious than other Islamic groups in Asia. Muezzin calling to prayer are unlikely to rudely awaken Phuket’s guests in the early morning, pork is widely available on the island and you certainly won’t have trouble finding alcoholic beverages. However, in the face of global insecurities this group do continue to take their religion seriously and there are many mosques scattered around the island. The tourist village of Koh Phan Yee – a small settlement of fishing families built on stilts in the Pha Nga bay, for instance, is entirely Moslem and the distinctive mosque can be seen as you approach the ‘island’. They arrived here as sea gypsies from the Indonesia archipelago several centuries ago. Few of the women cover their heads with scarves and tourists often scarcely notice the difference.
But in the three border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat trouble has been brewing since 2003 as the Southern Moslem insurgents with self determination ideals have come up against an insensitive government. Their heavy handed tactics and incompetence in dealing with terrorist violence have caused more harm than good. Although tourists are advised to stay away from these provinces, religious instigated unrest elsewhere in Thailand is very unlikely.
Thailand has been a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference with observer status since 1998. Small pockets of Moslem communities are found all over the Kingdom including the far north where Islamic Chinese immigrants arrived centuries ago. The country had more than 2,000 mosques in 38 Thai provinces, most belonging to the Sunni sect of Islam. In the South however, the majority are of Malay original and their beliefs influenced by the region, including Indonesia and Malaysia. like Buddhism, it had become integrated with many beliefs and practices not integral to Islam. The faith in Thailand is largely supervised by the National Council for Muslims, which includes some high ranking government officials among its followers. They have also left their mark culturally on Thailand with certain foods, festivals and folklore.
Chinese ancestral worship
The influence across Asia of the Chinese cannot be understated and although none of the powerful Chinese Dynasties ever controlled any parts of Siam, the Chinese Diasporas of the 19th and 20th centuries brought significant numbers to the kingdom so that nearly 10 per cent of the population today claims Chinese ancestry. They have been completely assimilated into Thai culture but continue to maintain bloodlines and beliefs, including a curious mix of ancestral worship blended with Buddhists spiritual practices. Since many of these families occupy the wealthy class, the culture has been strongly maintained and this is particularly true on Phuket which as a long history of Sino influence from its trading heyday.
There are a number of Chinese temples across the island, noted for their colourful appearance, adorned with dragons and mythical creatures. Believers worship ancestral spirits at these temples and retain a strong belief in practices such as feng shui. Many of the shops which are owned by traders of Chinese descent will have a small alter set aside in a corner of the shop for good fortune. In January the Chinese New Year celebrations are strongly supported in Phuket.
Christianity on Phuket
There is also a significant presence of Christian churches who enjoy modest support among the communities of Phuket. Missionaries have been in Thailand for well over two centuries, permitted to preach their beliefs since the latter Ayuthaya era, but it is only in the last 100 years that they have flourished. With its international legacy as a trading port, Phuket was one of the pioneering areas for Christianity to take hold and today there are several churches across the island, including Protestant, Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist and a number of small independent ministries supported by missionary volunteers.
Christianity is becoming increasingly popular among a small percentage of the Thai population in much the same way as Buddhism has been appealing in ‘the West’. Services take place on Saturdays and Sundays in both English and Thai, with all locals and visitors invited.
