People group profile · PG009164
The Phu Thai of Laos
The Phu Thai of Laos, numbering about 264,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tai people tracing origin to Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam before migrating into Laos and Thailand, whose villages rely on female shamans called moi yau to mediate with the spirit world alongside varying degrees of Buddhist practice.
They are an indigenous people in the Tai people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, and they primarily speak Phu Thai.
Fast facts
- Country
- Laos
- Population
- 264,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tai
- Primary language
- Phu Thai (pht)
- Primary religion
- Theravada Buddhism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Phu Thai are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Phu Thai
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Theravada Buddhism · Buddhism
80% adherents
Primary language
Phu Thai · Tai-Kadai family
100% speak Phu Thai
Gospel resources in Phu Thai
- Bible not available
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Phu Thai
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
Phu Tai in other countries
The same people (ROP3 108016) is reported in 2 other countries.
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