The Kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. As a crossroads to Asia, the country is extremely diverse, but strong integration encourages a cultural and socia l unity. Over 60 million people make up “The Land of Smiles.” The country is divided into four district areas all lying within the humid tropics. It remains hot throughout the year with a cool, hot, and rainy season.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his father, Prince Mahidol of Songkhla, was studying medicine at Harvard University. As a constitutional monarchy, he maintains neutrality in times of crisis. Thai people have a deep and traditional reverence for the Royal Family. To a great degree, the King’s popularity mirrors his deep interest in his people’s welfare. He and his wife, Queen Sinkit, devote much of their time to improve the welfare of the people.
With a 94% Buddhist population, the saying “To be Thai, is to be Buddhist” is extremely accurate. All images of Buddha, large and small, in good or bad condition, are regarded as sacred. Showing disrespect to Buddhism and other religions is against the law and could cause you to be deported. Monks are among the highly regarded in the country. They are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman. If they do, they must go through a 10 day cleansing ritual. Spirit houses are seen across the country outside homes, businesses, etc…spirit worship has been practiced as long as there have been Thai people. Spirits are believed to exist in a variety of natural objects and the practice is often mixed with Buddhism or Brahmanism. Generally Thai people accept their lot in life without resentment. There is a sense of fatalism in their life attitude borought about by the concept of Karma. Trouble and suffering are results of bad karma while prosperity results from good karma. In addition to this Buddhist majority, 4% of the population is Muslim and 1% Christian.
When sharing the Gospel with Thais it is important to remember they are relationship oriented. Like most of the world it is critical for them to feel loved before sharing the Gospel. In much of the world Christian concepts are understood, but in this Buddhist country the lack of Christian influence makes understanding our concept of God difficult. It is very important to not argue about Buddhism or compare Buddha to Jesus or get bogged down in the details when sharing. Ultimately, they have a natural emptiness in their lives that only God can fill.
Thailand for Team Zion…
Our month will be spent in Phuket, Thailand. It is a popular island on the southwest coast of the country. With many foreigners coming in and out of this area, the sex trade industry in Phuket is flourishing. Thailand has over 2 million prostitutes which bring in $22 to $27 billion per year. Many girls are forced into prostitution to support their families in the rural areas. In addition, many girls thrive off of the financial benefit to this work and become addicted to the lifestyle. We will be partnering with SHE ministries, which is a new ministry and one of a few in the area. The priority to our ministry is outreach to women working as prostitutes in the sex trade industry. SHE provides job opportunities to women who come out of the industry. They have the opportunity to work making jewelry and cards that are exported to the U.S. and U.K. Our time will be spent visiting with the women in the local bars. During the days we will hang out with the women we meet, work with the girls who have come out of the industry, minister in the Burmese refugee camps, etc… We ask for you to cover this time in prayer as the oppressive spirit in this beautiful country is already overwhelming.
