Hinduism is a minority religion in Thailand followed by 80,000 (0.1%) of its population as of 2020. Despite being a Buddhist majority nation, Thailand has a very strong Hindu influence. The popular Thai epic Ramakien is based on the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, which is a Thai variant of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The majority of them reside in Bangkok, Chonburi and Phuket. History Although Thailand has never been a majority Hindu country, it has been influenced by Hinduism. Before Thailand was a country, In the past, the nation was influenced by Indian culture through maritime trade. which has its roots in Hinduism , which had strong Hindu roots. Despite the fact that today Thailand is a Buddhist majority nation, many elements of Thai culture and symbolism demonstrates Hindu influences and heritage. For example, the popular epic, Ramakien, based on the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, is very similar to Ramayana. The Royal emblem of Thailand depicted Garuda, the vahana (vehicle) of Vishnu. The Thai city, Ayutthaya near Bangkok, is named after Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama. Numerous rituals derived from Hinduism are preserved in rituals, such as the use of holy strings and pouring of water from conch shells. Furthermore, Hindu-Buddhist deities are worshipped by many Thais, such as Brahma at the famous Erawan Shrine, and statues of Ganesh, Indra, and Shiva, as well as numerous symbols relating to Hindu deities are found, e.g., Garuda, a symbol of the monarchy. Reliefs in temple walls, such as the 12th-century Prasat Sikhoraphum near Surin (Thailand), show a dancing Shiva, with smaller images of Parvati, Vishnu, Brahma and Ganesha. The Devasathan is a Hindu temple established in 1784 by King Rama I. The temple is the centre of Hindus in Thailand. The royal court Brahmins operate the temple, they perform several royal ceremonies per year. An annual Giant Swing ceremony known as Triyampavai-Tripavai was held in major cities of Thailand until 1935, when it was abolished for safety reasons. The name of the ceremony was derived from the names of two Tamil language Hindu chants: Thiruvempavai and Thiruppavai. It is known that Tamil verses from Thiruvempavai — poet pratu sivalai ("opening the portals of Shiva's home") — were recited at this ceremony, as well as the coronation ceremony of the Thai king. According to T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the name of the festival indicates that Thiruppavai might have been recited as well. The swinging ceremony depicted a