Thailand, the “Land of Smiles,” is nestled in southeast Asia and shares land borders with Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. It is roughly twice the size of the state of Wyoming, and is currently home to over 66 million people. With a population that is predominantly Buddhist (94.6%) and has very few evangelical Christians (<1%), Thailand is a nation that is ripe to hear and believe the great news of Jesus Christ, and to experience the LIFE, PEACE, and JOY that a personal relationship with him brings.
Northern Thailand, where our family serves, has many demographic profiles ranging from rural farmers among the many hill tribes to modern urbanites in the city center of Chiang Mai. The level of devotion to Buddhism varies from person to person, but traditional Eastern values of family, respect, and honor are almost universally upheld.
The climate in northern Thailand can be described in two words: hot and humid! The average temperature is approximately 80~95 F throughout the year, and the monsoon season brings warm showers that are welcomed for cooling as well as for bringing down air pollution levels that spike up during the burning season.
The U.S. State Department categorizes Thailand as “a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children, who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution… Commercial sexual exploitation and forced prostitution generally involve victims who are women and girls. Sex tourism has historically been a significant problem in Thailand, and likely is a factor in trafficking.”
The following resources offer more information about Thailand:
