Research Report No.34 
The Religious Practices and Trend of Change in Thai Rural People 
by 
Penkhae Prachonpachanuk 
Omduean Soadmanee (1986)  
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            Purposes 
                1. To examine whether rural Thai people keep faith in beliefs,  values and Buddhist doctrines or not and in what level by determining  the persistency in beliefs, values of rural Thai people in the  modernized villages who get better living change remaining their  beliefs, values and faith in Buddhist doctrines. Whereas  investigating rural Thai people who changed a little and have the  same lifestyles still maintain their beliefs, values and faith in  Buddhist doctrines in what level. Comparison of the two groups were  made the see the differences. It was hypothesized that rural Thai  people who had lifestyle changed would reduce their faith in Buddhist  doctrines, beliefs and values more than the less changed ones. 
            2. To investigate the trends of change in beliefs, values, and  faith in Buddhist doctrines. The subjects were children in greater  changed community and less changed community. This was hypothesized  that childrenin greater-changed villages would reduced their beliefs, values and faith in Buddhist doctrines more than the children who  lived in less-changed community. 
            Methodology 
                The sample consisted of villagers in Bankhai District, Amphur  Ban Khai, Rayong province. They were 126 people from modernized  villages : 63 adults and 63 children formed into first group. The  other were 134 people from traditional villages : 67 adults and 67  children. The questionnaires had 2 parts; the first part for adult and the  latter for children Demographic and religious backgrounds were asked.  In part 2, the subjects were asked about their beliefs, values and  faith in Buddhist doctrines. In children's questionnaires, it  included ethics measures which were open-ended. Percentage and chi-square were employed to analyze the data  collected. 

            Conclusion 
                1. There were differences among subjects in modernized and  traditional villages in economic, social, family status, i.e., people  who lived in modernized villges had higher economic status and  education level but less children. For religious way of life, people  in modernized villages had low rank, responsibility and religious  experiences attending less religious activities. 
                2. The subjects in modernized villages had less bliefs in  Buddhism. 
                3. Religious beliefs were changed according to age. The older  they were, the more beliefs they got. 
                4. People in modernized villages had less Buddhist beliefs than  the ones from traditional villages. 
                5. Adults in modernized villages maintained Buddhist values  such as mercy, morality, and inexploitation less than adults in  traditional villages. Some critical findings that adults in traditional villages would  have less understanding in Buddhist doctrines and socialized  practices to their children were found. This was also found in the  children's groups. Children in traditional villages were more close  to the monastery and parents had influences in religious  socialization. Children in modernized villages understood the  Buddist reasons but had less practices. Parents were not very strict  on this matter. Teachers had more influences in religious  socialization. Another remarkable finding was that the children in  traditional villages had higher ethics, i.e., mercy, generosity and  higher responsibility than those in modernized villages. 



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