Bangkok, Thailand

Despite its rapid economic development, Bangkok's social infrastructure cannot cope with the influx of migrants that are part of the urban poverty in Bangkok. Very few people are working with the urban poor there. More than 95% of the population identify as Buddhist, although most really practice a syncretistic mix of Theraveda Buddhism and animism. A sense of fatalism inherent in the Buddhist/animist belief system often keeps the poor trapped in their poverty. Thais are not generally hostile to other religions, and a number of ministries have recently seen a marked increase in receptivity to the Gospel, particularly among young people.