Thailand

No national surveys have been carried out regarding sunat in Thailand.  It is known, however, that some Muslim groups in Thailand undertake the practice, including Malay and Dawoodi Bohra communities.  

Thailand’s Muslim population largely resides in three provinces in the south of Thailand: Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala. There, it is estimated that Malay Muslims form about 75% of the population.  In addition, academic anthropological studies about the nature and practice of sunat were carried out between 2005 and 2010 in Satun province, which is also in southern Thailand.

Muslims comprise 5.4% (3.8 million) of Thailand’s total population of approximately 71 million. The prevalence of sunat in southern Thailand’s Muslim community is believed to be similar to that in Kelantan, Malaysia, as the southernmost Thai provinces are culturally and religiously similar to that part of Malaysia. Kelantan has one of the highest sunat prevalence figures in Malaysia (88% of female ethnic Malays).

The Dawoodi Bohra are understood to mainly reside in and around Bangkok. Again, no survey of sunat prevalence has been carried out in this community in Thailand, but surveys carried out with Dawoodi Bohra women in India suggest an sunat prevalence of between 75% and 80% of women.