Religion in Thailand - Islam

Islam

Main article: Islam in Thailand

It is often thought that the majority of the country's Muslims is concentrated in the kingdom's three Southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. However, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' reports that only 18% of Thai Muslims live in the border provinces. The rest are scattered throughout Thailand, with the largest concentrations in Bangkok and throughout the southern peninsula. According to the National Statistics Office, in 2005, Muslims in Southern Thailand made up 30.4% of population over the age 15, while constituting less than 3% in the other regions of the country.

Thailand's Muslim population is diverse and multicultural, with ethnic groups having migrated from China, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and including some indigenous Thais. About two-third of the Muslims in Thailand are of Malay ancestry, though most no longer speak that language.

According to the Thai Census of 2005, there are 2,777,542 Muslims living in Thailand, making up 4.56% of the total population. The Muslims are younger compared to the general population, comprising 6.28% of those in the age-group of 0–4 years, but only 3.91% of those who are 85 years or more.

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Famous quotes containing the word islam:

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