My Account 
Thailand
Assalamu-Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu
In my last post I spoke about my travels around the World to secure products for Islamic Impressions. While I plan to blog about many different issues related to Islamic products, Islam and Muslim community affairs, I also plan to write a ‘travelogue’ series of blogs in which I elaborate more on each country I have visited. Today we will kick off with Thailand.
Thailand is a very beautiful country with a lot of scenic beauty, rich culture and interesting traditions. Thailand is mainly Buddhist, but it has a large minority of Muslims too. I found that in Thailand a lot of things are in reverse, with taxis in particular! Everywhere else in the world you would find yellow, black, white or green taxis, but in Thailand they have PINK taxis which immediately get noticed by tourists! The day I arrived I took a ride on one of these taxis to my hotel. On my way to the hotel I gained the trust of the taxi driver who became my personal driver throughout my entire stay and took me everywhere I wanted to go.
As a foreign visitor I initially felt very cautious about meeting strangers in Bangkok, due to the notorious reputation that Thailand has for locals deceiving and defrauding tourists. But when I finally walked into a store in the mall that day I was greeted with humble smiles as the store staff bowed, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. Whichever place I visited in Thailand I was greeted in the same manner; and although it may seem odd to a foreigner (especially a Muslim since in our Deen we do not bow to anybody other than Allah SWT) none the less it came across as an extremely kind and welcoming display of the local ada’ab.
After my brief tourism I embarked on the objective of my coming to Thailand: to find products for Islamic Impressions. I was in Thailand for Oudh, Atar and Silk. So I headed to the market place in Bangkok which has all the major traders for these products. The Cambodian Oudh in its raw form is very prized and valued for its precious nature. The people that were mainly trading in the market place were Arabs who had come to Thailand for the Silk, Oudh and Atar trade. It was a good experience working with them as they were very welcoming and before the start of any business deal it would always be accompanied with Arab hospitality by offering of tea and dates.
Busy with my trading activities, the time passed quickly and before I knew it the day of Jumm’ah was upon me. So I got my trusty driver to take me to the nearest mosque in Bangkok. When I arrived I was noticed immediately by the locals who recognised that I was a foreigner. However instead of hostility I was met with great hospitality, which the Thai locals are famous for. After the Jumm’ah prayers I met the local Imam and he took me to some halal eateries for food. After amply tasting the Thai fish dishes I was yearning to try something different. To my surprise the food was fiery hot and hence not easily palatable in large quantities, despite me being of South Asian origins!
During my outing with the Imam he told me some interesting things about the Muslim experience in Thailand. For example, in Thailand Muslims generally respect and look up to the King and Queen. Apparently the Thai monarchy is very good to the Muslim community and they give a lot of funding for the renovation of mosques. Islam is the largest minority religion in Thailand with nearly 6 million Muslims. In the whole of Thailand there are 2000 mosques and 200 of those are in Bangkok alone. There are 200 Muslim schools and the Muslims enjoy full state support to teach and practice their religion.
All in all, Thailand is an amazing destination that is not normally associated with Islam and Muslims. Our Ummah is an amazing Ummah, diverse and scattered all over the globe. Any Muslim wishing to experience a part of the Ummah that is off the mainstream track (or usual list of destinations) should consider visiting Thailand. You will be pleasantly surprised by your stay and I highly recommend it.
Aqib