ABSTRACT
Thailand is a country of marked religious tolerance, where Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and the Sikh religion are practised amicably side by side. Whilst its monarch is styled ' patron of all faiths' and there is no established religion, the king is required by constitution to be Buddhist, and Buddhism is prominent in all fields of public life. Except in four provinces in the extreme south, where special provisions are made for Muslims, state schools are in principle nondenominational, but their ethos is Buddhist in inspiration. This applies equally to the majority of private schools, on which the Thai education system remains heavily dependent. Private schools have free control of the appointment of teachers, but Ministry regulations on qualifications for teaching nevertheless apply. Christian nuns and clergy of Thai nationality are expected to prepare themselves privately and qualify by public examination for the teaching profession.
