• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!

    Bangladesh
    This low-lying country has historic ties to India and Pakistan, but today maintains a wholly unique culture. Explore Bangladesh!

  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!

    Indonesia
    This archipelago nation is culturally diverse from big cities to isolated islands. Begin Your Journey!

  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!

    Jordan
    Tucked away in this Middle Eastern country, the famed city of Petra (pictured) links the past to the present culture. Explore Jordan!

  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!

    Mongolia
    This vast country has a culture that spans past and present... a nomadic life shifting to a modern & sedentary society. Begin Your Journey!

  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!

    Kyrgyzstan
    The mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountains (pictured), give Kyrgyzstan a unique culture, partially formed from this isolation from the mountains. Go Now!

Ethnicity, Language, & Religion of Thailand

Ethnicity

Three quarters of Thailand's population consists of ethnic Thai. The closest relatives to the Thai are the Lao, Burmans, and Dai (in southern China). The next largest ethnic group in Thailand is the Han Chinese, who make up nearly 15% of the population.

Language

Thai is the language that nearly everyone in Thailand speaks natively, although some minority groups have their own languages, such as the Hmong. Thai falls into the Thai language family, most of whose close relatives are languages of minority groups found in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. The closest languages to Thai, other than the small languages, are Lao and more distantly the languages of China and Tibet.

English is the most commonly taught second language and most people with a college education speak English fluently. It is an important language in numerous sectors, especially the tourist trade and in the business world of Thailand centered in Bangkok.

Religion

Almost every Thai citizen is Buddhist as both the Thais and Chinese tend to be Buddhist. The last 5% of the population is primarily Muslim or Christian.

Buddhism is a religion or philosophy that encourages people to strive for enlightenment. Adherents believe that each being is reborn until enlightenment is reached, at which time they escape the cycle of birth and death. To accomplish this, every being must speak, act, and live in a positive manner; this is magnified with the force of karma, which dictates an individual's later life and/or their rebirth.

This page was last updated: May, 2014