The Thai are highly religious people. Most Thais are Buddhist and as a result Buddhism plays a predominant role in their lives. There are two sets of Buddhist monks in Thailand, the orange robed monks called the Mahanikai and the red-brown robed monks called the Thammayut, who can eat just one meal a day before noon. The Thammayut monks eat food only when someone offers them as a merit making event. They cannot touch money.