Praying for Thailand Kingdom of Thailand If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.  - John 14:14

Geography Land area: 513,115 sq km A fertile and well-watered land bordering on Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Population: 68,139,238 Capital: Bangkok Official language: Thai Languages: 85

Thailand means “land of the free” and Thais take great pride in being one of the only Asian nations never to have been imperialized. Formerly known as Siam, its ruling family has held power for more than a thousand years. Thailand is also known as the “land of smiles” due to the easy-going and hospitable nature of its people and its sophisticated culture. However, it is a place of little true joy.

With over 250,000 Buddhist monks serving in over 30,000 temples across Thailand, Buddhism is not only the largest faith, but is part of the Thai national identity and permeates into every level of society and culture. Because of this, it is estimated that only one hundred Thais accept Jesus each year in a country of over 64 million people. The church remains small with around one percent of the population being evangelical Christians.

Unfortunately many people are drawn to a lucrative sex industry and tourism. Two million children are currently involved in prostitution to pay off family debts since the average Thai earns less than 3,000 dollars a year. This scourge has led to an increase in HIV/AIDS so much so that it is the leading cause of death in Thailand today.

The Bible is available in the Thai language and many Thai radio stations daily air Christian programmes. With the growing distribution of Christian literature and a highly literate population, Thailand is a nation with the potential to see the gospel spread quickly. If workers will go and God's people will pray, God's power and the truth of the gospel will transform Thailand into a nation that is truly free and full of smiles.

Religion 59,136,398 307,305 Religion Pop % Ann Gr Buddhists 92.28 Largest Religion: Buddhist Religion                 Pop % Ann Gr Buddhists 59,136,398 92.28 Evangelicals 307,305 0.9 3.6 Muslims 3,307,395 5.0

State of economy Thailand is an emerging economy and is considered a newly industrialised country. Thailand is the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. Thailand functions as an anchor economy for the neighbouring developing economies of Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. In the third quarter of 2017, the unemployment rate in Thailand stood at 1.2%.

Structures of sin and vice continue to prosper, despite increasing efforts to combat them. Corruption allows unscrupulous men – in business, politics, the military and police – to enrich themselves while oppressing others. The moral blights of the sex trade, drug networks, crime syndicates and ecological degradation will remain as long as they are profitable and tolerated. Pray for the breaking of these structures of sin by God’s power. Christian help ministries are well developed in Thailand and bearing fruit.

Prayer points Pray for the Gospel to effectively permeate this culture of Buddhism, spiritism, and the occult. • Pray for moral conviction to fall on those who oppress others for profit via the sex trade. • Pray for explosive growth in the church to reach all 80,000 villages. Tensions with other neighbours, including disputes with Cambodia and more notably Myanmar, from which over a million have fled disaster and persecution into Thailand. Pray for the shaping of Christian leaders.