User:Dragfyre/Sandbox/Bahá'í Faith in Thailand

The introduction of the Bahá'í Faith in Thailand first occurred in the 19XXs, not long after Siam was mentioned by `Abdu'l-Bahá as a potential destination for Bahá'í teachers. ... According to a 2010 estimate, Thailand is home to approximately XXXXX Bahá'ís.

‘Abdu'l-Bahá and the Tablets of the Divine Plan
The earliest association of Thailand with the Bahá'í Faith was a brief mention of Siam as a destination for Bahá'í teachers in ‘Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan. The specific tablet in question was written on April 11, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919, after the end of World War I and the Spanish flu. These tablets were translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.

"'The moment this divine Message is carried forward by the American believers from the shores of America and is propagated through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion..., if some teachers go to other islands and other parts, such as the continent of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, also to Japan, Asiatic Russia, Korea, French Indochina, Siam, Straits Settlements, India, Ceylon and Afghanistan, most great results will be forthcoming.'"

‘Abdu’l-Bahá had at one time seriously considered a voyage to India and Indochina, as reported by Shoghi Effendi in 1919, although whether such a voyage would have included the territory that would become known as Thailand is not known.

The first Bahá'í to visit Thailand is likely to have been XXXXXXXX...

Establishment and early growth
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Bahá'í refugees
Following the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, Bahá'ís in Thailand and other countries reached out to Cambodian refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border. Kenneth Morais, an American Bahá'í and veteran of the Vietnam War, was particularly active in helping Cambodian refugees. He was reportedly "so moved" by the humanitarian crisis in Cambodia that he quit his job in Korea, moving to Thailand to help provide humanitarian assistance. During this time, he also assisted with efforts to translate the Bahá'í Writings into the Khmer language. His services were memorialized by the Universal House of Justice after His death in 1981. Through the efforts of Morais and others, Local Spiritual Assemblies were eventually established within the refugee camps.

Reconstruction and modern community
The efforts of the Bahá'ís of Thailand helped contribute to the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Cambodia during the Ridván Festival in 1994. Amatu'l-Bahá Ruhíyyíh Khánum was present for the event, which took place in Phnom Penh on April 23-4. A centre was also established on Phnom Penh's 51 St.

"The friends in Thailand may draw courage from the success of their efforts to help re-establish the Bahá'í community of Cambodia and resolve to turn with the same vigour and determination to the tasks of expansion and consolidation in their homeland. There they have proved themselves capable of teaching among many strata of society and of bringing into their ranks people of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. Setting aside all hesitation, and with unity of thought and purpose, let them dedicate the coming four years to the unflagging pursuit of a clearly defined course of action traced for them by their institutions."

On January 31st, 2009, Cambodian Bahá'ís hosted a major regional conference in Battambang, attended by over 2,000 of their co-religionists from Laos and Thailand, and Vietnam.

In 2013, two Bahá'í youth conferences were held in Cambodia: one in Battambang from 10-12 September, which gathered 500 people including youth from Vietnam, and one in Kampong Thom from 20-22 October, which gathered 900 people including youth from Thailand.

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