Thai Buddhism, grounded in merit-making and the centrality of the sangha, has become the matrix within which Thai artistic and cultural life has taken shape. Temple complexes dominate the landscape as both sacred spaces and communal centers, their layouts reflecting Buddhist cosmology and the rhythms of monastic life. Within these wats, structures such as the chedi, ubosot, and viharn organize space around relics, ordination, and assembly, giving architectural form to the path of practice and the authority of the monastic community. Distinct historical and regional styles—Lanna, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Rattanakosin—show how Buddhist themes have been continually reinterpreted, yet always in service of expressing the dhamma and supporting merit-making.

In the visual arts, images of the Buddha and narrative scenes from the Jātaka tales function as both objects of devotion and vehicles of instruction. Standardized poses and iconographic features of Buddha images communicate ideals of serenity, wisdom, and compassionate detachment, while temple murals map out the Buddhist cosmos, hell realms, and exemplary lives for contemplation. Much of this artistic production arises from acts of generosity: commissioning images, murals, or decorative work is itself understood as a powerful way to generate merit. Decorative elements—gilding, mirror glass, naga serpents, and other mythic figures—mark the boundary between ordinary and sacred space, signaling protection of the dhamma and the presence of spiritual power.

The influence of Buddhism extends deeply into literature, performance, and everyday custom. Classical texts, sermons, and public recitations of stories such as the Vessantara Jātaka transmit ethical ideals and karmic law, while dance and theatre forms draw on Buddhist-inflected narratives to dramatize generosity, loyalty, and moral causality. Life-cycle rituals—birth blessings, ordination, weddings, funerals—are framed and overseen by the sangha, embedding Buddhist cosmology into the most intimate transitions of human life. Temporary ordination, in particular, binds family honor, filial gratitude, and communal identity to the support of the monastic community and the accumulation of merit.

Festivals and the ritual calendar further reveal how thoroughly Buddhism structures social time and collective imagination. Holy days centered on the Buddha’s life and the establishment of the sangha, as well as the observance of vassa, organize agricultural cycles, communal gatherings, and acts of generosity. Temple fairs blend devotion with markets, music, and entertainment, so that religious practice and popular culture are not separate spheres but mutually reinforcing. At the level of kingship and national identity, rulers present themselves as righteous patrons of the sangha, and royal temples and palaces embody this fusion of throne and dhamma. In this way, Thai Buddhism does not simply adorn Thai culture; it provides the symbolic grammar through which art, architecture, and social life are imagined and continually renewed.