Page 30 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

Islam had come to Southeast Asia via two routes: "By Land", through trade route
of caravans on the Silk Road passing through China and India, "By Sea", from cargo ships of
Muslims with different nationalities such as Arab, Turk, Persian, and Indian, who trade on major
ports in Malay Peninsula which are the present-day Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, up to Nakhon
Sri Thammarat in the South of Thailand. Hence, this area became hub of Islamic civilization and
major trade center. People in the Southeast Asia has accepted and believed in Islam, starting
from the coast line of islands and peninsulas and then expanded to the mainland and continent.
In Thailand, during Sukhothai period when the King Ramkhamhaeng The Great was
expanding his territory to the South, Islam was propagated around Sukhothai colonies -- City of
Nakhon Sri Thammarat, City of Malacca, and City of Jahore. All of these cities -- starting from
Nakhon Sri Thammarat to the South, down to Singapore, Sumatra, Melacca, and the Islands of
Indonesia (Sumatra-Java) -- are where Islam followers populated.

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