The Thais moved from their ancestral home in southern China into mainland southeast Asia around the 10th century AD. Throughout its 800-year history, Thailand can boast the distinction of being the only country in Southeast Asia never to have been colonized. Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism, a branch of Hinayana Buddhism, practiced by more than 90 % of all Thais.
