Thai Buddhism may be understood as a Theravāda tradition that has become deeply woven into the fabric of Thai national life. It rests on the Pāli Canon, upholding the path of ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom that leads to individual liberation, with the arahant as the paradigmatic figure of full awakening. Within this framework, the historical Buddha is revered as a supreme teacher rather than as a deity, and the Noble Eightfold Path provides the guiding structure for practice. The religion functions as a kind of spiritual backbone for Thai society, shaping moral values, social expectations, and public rituals. In this sense, it is not merely one religious option among many, but a central reference point for identity and meaning.

At the heart of everyday practice lies the cultivation of merit, or bun, often expressed through the phrase tam bun, “making merit.” Laypeople commonly seek to accumulate wholesome karma by giving alms to monks, donating to temples, sponsoring religious ceremonies, observing precepts on special days, and engaging in other good deeds. These acts are understood to support favorable rebirths and general well-being, and they also sustain the institutional life of the monastic community. The Sangha, highly organized and influential, serves as a “field of merit,” offering teachings, blessings, and ritual services while depending on lay generosity. A distinctive custom is temporary ordination, through which many Thai men spend a period as monks, gaining merit for themselves and their families and deepening their contact with the Dhamma.

Thai Buddhism also bears a character shaped by its intimate relationship with the Thai state and monarchy. The king has traditionally been regarded as a patron and protector of the religion, and the Sangha is structured and regulated at a national level, giving it a coherence and visibility that strongly mark public life. Temples, or wats, function as community centers where religious observances, education, and social gatherings intersect. Alongside this formal structure, a rich “folk” dimension flourishes: belief in local spirits, the use of amulets, and protective rituals coexist with scriptural teachings without being seen as fundamentally opposed to them. This syncretic texture gives Thai Buddhism a distinctive flavor while still remaining recognizably Theravāda.

In comparison with other Buddhist traditions, Thai Buddhism differs most clearly from Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna forms. It does not place primary emphasis on the bodhisattva ideal of postponing enlightenment for the sake of all beings, nor does it cultivate the elaborate pantheons, tantric rituals, or mandala visualizations characteristic of Tibetan Vajrayāna. Its scriptural and liturgical language is Pāli rather than Sanskrit, Chinese, or Tibetan, and its ritual life tends to be more straightforward in doctrinal focus, even when richly adorned in cultural expression. Compared with Zen, for example, meditation is important but is not the sole or overriding emphasis for most laypeople, who often orient their practice more around merit-making and support of the monastic community. Within the broader Theravāda world, Thai Buddhism shares core doctrines with countries such as Sri Lanka and Myanmar, yet expresses them through its own particular blend of royal patronage, forest monasticism, village temple life, and local religious imagination.