9 reasons to love King Rama’s halal capital

Muslim travellers in Bangkok / Courtesy of Tharik Hussain

On Thursday, October 26, Thailand will finally cremate their beloved late King Rama IX, Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Crematorium, Sanam Luang, Bangkok. In a highly ceremonial funeral that blends Hindu and Buddhist rites, the country will end its year-long mourning since the passing of the 88-year-old monarch on October 13, 2016.

What many people don’t know is how Muslim-friendly the Buddhist ruler was during his reign. In 1962, after receiving an English translation of the Quran from Saudi Arabia, the American-born King commissioned the country’s first modern Thai translation and launched it four years later on its 1,400th anniversary. His aim was to ensure that Thai Muslims could read their holy book in their own tongue.

Every year, on the date of the Mawlid al-Nabi, which observes the date of the Prophet’s birth (PBUH), the King or a member of his royal family attends the Thai Muslim celebrations held at the office of the Sheikh ul-Islam, the country’s Islamic leader. King Bhumibol was also known to have personally visited and funded several mosques and madrasahs across his kingdom.

This is not to say there haven’t been problems; clashes between the Thai state and Thai Muslims in the south are well documented. Yet King Bhumibol’s embrace of Muslim culture is undeniable and plainly visible across his empire, especially in his capital of Bangkok.

Home to Thailand’s largest Muslim community, despite the city’s reputation as a hedonistic haven, Bangkok is very much like the late King in its efforts to welcome Muslims. Nine is also the lucky number for Thais, so here are nine reasons Muslim travellers will love the capital of King Rama IX.

1. MOSQUES EVERYWHERE

Bantukdin Mosque signage / Courtesy of Tharik Hussain

Sometimes you have to look a little harder for them, like the Bantukdin Mosque, which is hidden inside a warren of winding alleyways backing onto Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road. However, with almost 200 mosques scattered across the metropolis, you’ll always find somewhere to pray in Bangkok. One of the more interesting is the Bang Luang Mosque, which has a stunning mehrab inspired by Thai temple art.

Photo: BANGKOK, THAILAND - SEPTEMBER 14, 2014: Mehrab at Bang Luang Moqsue / via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / With caption in English

2. THE MUSLIM QUARTERS

Interior of Haroon Mosque / Courtesy of Tharik Hussain

Bangkok’s Muslims are generally spread out across the city, but every now and then, a concentration of mosques gives rise to a little Muslim quarter, like the Bang Rak district south of the centre. Here, several mosques, including the colonial-style Haroon Mosque and brilliantly named Thai-Pakistan Friendship mosque, sit in an area brimming with halal restaurants, grocers and street vendors, making it the ideal place to meet local Muslims.

Interior of Haroon Mosque / Courtesy of Tharik Hussain

3. THE HOME OF EMERGING THAI-MUSLIM ART

Bang Rak district is also home to a growing Thai-Muslim art scene led by the newly opened Institute of Islamic Art Thailand. It houses stunning contemporary and classic pieces of Islamic art by Thai-Muslim artists, including the award-winning Thidarat Chantachua. The institute is also pioneering a new Thai-Islamic art style that combines traditional Thai motifs with Islamic art principals. The results are just stunning.

4. THE CAPITAL OF HALAL STREET FOOD

Head to any of Bangkok’s many street-food hubs and you’ll find a bearded man or a hijab-wearing woman stood behind a cart with a ‘halal’ sign. Delicious halal street food is easier to come by in the capital than in any other city in Thailand. The Chatuchak Weekend Market has a particularly extensive range.

5. THE GROWTH OF HALAL PRODUCTS

In 2002, Thailand produced around 10,000 halal-certified products; it now produces six times that figure. Although most of these are exported to Muslim-majority countries, Bangkok’s stores are filled with their fair share. Look in the right places and even the 7/11 microwave meals will be halal-certified.

6. MUSAFIR SERVICES

Signage in Suvarnabhumi Airport / Courtesy of Tharik Hussain

In the ultimate show of solidarity with Muslim travellers, both Bangkok’s main international airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and its biggest train station, Bangkok Railway Station, have Muslim prayer spaces and halal food outlets on site.

7. A MUSLIM-FRIENDLY APP

In 2015, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched the country’s first Muslim-friendly travel app, with information on halal food, mosques and the qibla direction. Once you download it, wherever you are in Bangkok, locating a Muslim service will only be a click away.

8. HOME OF THE FIRST FULLY HALAL THAI HOTEL

A view of the Al Meroz hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

Bangkok boasts the country’s only completely halal hotel, the Al-Meroz, in the eastern part of the city. This has its own prayer hall and segregated swimming pool (in sessions), in a completely alcohol-free environment, even down to the toiletries.

9. A GROWING REPUTATION

Things are set to only get better for Muslims headed to Bangkok. The 2017 MasterCard–CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index ranked Thailand as the second most Muslim-friendly country in the top 20 non-OIC list, and this has prompted the country’s tourism board to further invest in Muslim-friendly travel.

(This article is written by Tharik Hussain. Tharik is a freelance British Muslim travel writer, journalist, broadcaster and photographer specialising in the Muslim stories of Europe. Hussain’s first ever radio documentary, America’s Mosques; A Story of Integration, has been declared one of the world’s best radio documentaries for 2016. All his work can be viewed at www.tharikhussain.co.uk)

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