Why Is There Almost a Buddist Temple on Every Street in Chiang Mia, Thailand?

Religions in Thailand

  We enjoy strolling around and exploring the streets in our Chiang Mia Old Town hotel neighborhood. During our walk each day we discovered many beautiful and traditional architecture and buildings. From what we have observed in Thailand for the past two weeks, three things have stood out for me:

  1. Thai temples

  2. Spa and massage centre

  2. Coffee shops, big and small

 

We went to the massage centres three times on this trip, visited a coffee shop every day and sometimes numerous times a day. But, there are so many temples in the city of Chiang Mia that, I think, there must be at least and often, more than one temple on each street. There are as many massage centres as the number of coffee shops and temples on the streets in Thailand as the case in Chiang Mia.

  I was curious why there are so many temples in Chiang Mai? We saw not only temples but worship altars everywhere even on grounds of schools and educational institutions.

 

I tried to find out more about religions in Thailand and learned that Thailand is overwhelmingly a Buddhist country, with Theravada Buddhism as the dominant religion, practiced by approximately 92-94% of the population. It influences Thai culture, laws, customs, and daily life profoundly. The King is constitutionally required to be a Buddhist, and many Thai men will ordain as monks for a period of time in their lives. Chiang Mai is often called the "Rose of the North," but it could just as easily be called the "City of Temples." It's estimated there are over 300 Buddhist temples (*wats*) within the city and surrounding areas. There are several key reasons for this:

  1. Politics - Chiang Mai was the capital of the independent Lanna Kingdom for centuries. Building temples was a primary way for kings and nobles to demonstrate their power, piety, and merit. Each new ruler or wealthy family would often sponsor a new temple or expand an existing one to gain religious merit and public favor.

2. Sense of Community - In traditional Thai society, the temple (*wat*) was far more than just a place of worship. It served as the heart of the community, functioning as the school, hospital, town hall, community center, and even a news hub. Having a temple in every neighborhood meant essential services were accessible to all. This reminds me of the churches in Canada some of which also serve as a community centre for their community.

3. The Accumulation of Merit - In Theravada Buddhism, making merit (*tham bun*) is a core practice for a better future life. Donating money, materials, or labor to build and maintain a temple is considered one of the most meritorious acts a person can perform. This created a constant cycle of patronage and temple construction.

 

4. Thriving Spiritual Center - The city has always been a major center for Buddhist scholarship, meditation, and monastic practice. Different temples served different purposes—some were for the common people, some were royal temples, and others were remote forest monasteries for intense meditation.

  Other religions include Islam which is the largest religious minority, representing about 5-6% of the population. The majority of Thai Muslims are Malay ethnics living in the southernmost provinces (like Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat). There are also many mosques in Bangkok and other major cities.

Besides the Muslims, other religions also coexist such as Christianity. Christians make up just over 1% of the population. Christian communities are found throughout the country, but are more prominent in the north, partly due to the work of historical missions.

Based on data from the Religious Affairs Department and local directories, there are roughly 80 to 100 Christian churches in Chiang Mai city and the surrounding province compared to over three hundred Buddhist temples in the same area. This numbers explained why we saw a temple on every street corner in Chiang Mai! Other minority religions include: Hinduism & Sikhism, other folk religions & Animism. Even within mainstream Buddhism, many Thais also incorporate beliefs from folk religions and animism.

We often saw Spirit Houses outside homes and businesses, where offerings were made to protective spirits of the land.So, the sheer density of temples is a direct reflection of Chiang Mai's rich history as a powerful, independent kingdom where Buddhism was woven into the very fabric of society.

 

RT, Chiang Mia, Thailand