Thais - religious people. According to official statistics, more than 95 percent of the population - Buddhists. However, when traveling through the southern provinces of Thailand, the mosques meet, perhaps even more often by Buddhist temples and stupas. Something seems to have missed the ubiquitous statistics ...
Most Muslims in Thailand - immigrants from neighboring Malaysia. However, the familiar Thais told me that in Islam in the south of Thailand today go through whole villages. Often because Muslims support materially many funds from other countries. If, for example, Muslim (especially advanced) is going to open its work, it is usually thrown into the money. And the children of Muslims are almost guaranteed to qualify for a good education abroad - for money all the same funds.
In Phuket, almost a quarter of the population (according to some data, all 40 percent) - Muslims.
Moreover, many Thais do not believe that they "betrayed Buddhism", and all that. After all, in the end, Buddha is not God at all, but an enlightened teacher. Therefore, nothing bothers, giving him honors, in parallel to believe in Allah.
... The Government of Thailand, which for a long time made the form that the question of the mass transition of Buddhists in Islam is not at all on the agenda, recently recognized its existence. At least somewhere about a month or two ago, a program for the relocation of poor Buddhists from the north of the country to the most extreme south was adopted. According to the authorities, this step will help "dilute" the local population and create a more relaxed atmosphere in the region.
When you travel along the southern provinces of Thailand, the mosques meet even more often by Buddhist temples.
And the situation in some places really becomes even threatening. For example, in the provinces of Yala and Pattani, Muslim rebels are constantly satisfied with metens. And these are those regions where tourists are urgent not recommended.
However, to Phuket (where a quarter of the population is Muslims) and this does not apply to neighboring resort provinces. Here they are waiting and met with open arms, even the Buddhists, at least Muslims, even agnostics. And on the local beaches, the girls in the hijabach quite peacefully get along with the ladies topless ...
Continued ...
Read the previous history of Olga here, and where it all starts - here.