The context of temples in Thai society

The Temple; Religious organization; Buddhism; Thai society.

Abstract

This article aims to present a perspective on the context of temples in Thailand, which includes the introduction of Buddhism and the construction of temples in Thailand, classification of temples, management of religious properties, legal status of temples, and administration of the Sangha. From the collection of primary data and related literature, it was found that temples are places for religious activities, built for religious use, and are the center of the community. In building a temple, anyone with faith who has land as their property and wishes to build a temple can donate the land to build a temple and invite monks to perform their duties until the number is reached. Then, the royal boundary of the royal temple is tied. It can be divided into 3 types: royal temples, public temples, and abandoned temples. The maintenance and management of religious properties of temples requires the National Office of Buddhism to prepare an annual budget for the central religious properties with the approval of the Sangha Supreme Council.

The state has the discretion to consider the construction of temples, starting with the district chief, provincial governor, the National Office of Buddhism, and the prime minister, and the Sangha organizations, including the district abbot, provincial abbot, and the Sangha Supreme Council. When permission is granted to build a temple, the construction of the building is carried out according to the approved model. When the temple is built as evidence and ready to be a place for monks to stay, the construction report and the temple name are submitted to the district chief to establish it as a temple. The consideration will probably adhere to the same principles and methods as the construction of a temple, which is that the state still has the discretion to grant permission or not.

Therefore, when the temple is completed, temple administration is necessary to learn to keep up with the changes in society in the present era. Systematic temple administration will result in a shady temple that is pleasant to live in, inviting people to participate in religious activities, and also being a role model for people who come to see it. Temple administration makes the operations within the temple more systematic, making it convenient to coordinate, resulting in efficiency and savings in operations. The operations can be monitored by monks, novices, and laypeople who are assigned to perform various duties of each role, such as administration, religious propagation, religious education, educational assistance, public utilities, and public assistance.