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People group profile · PG010820

The Akha of Thailand

The Akha of Thailand, numbering about 58,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Tibeto-Burman hill people whose ancestors migrated south from the Tibetan-Yunnan plateau in the 1600s fleeing political upheaval, passing through Burma's Shan State before settling Thailand's Chiang Rai highlands around 1903.

They are an indigenous people in the Hani-Akha people cluster of the Himalayan Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Akha.

Pray for the AkhaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Akha people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Akha

Fast facts

Country
Thailand
Population
58,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Hani-Akha
Primary language
Akha (ahk)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
15% or Greater but Less than 20%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Akha are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Concentrated Church Planting

Next steps for the Akha

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Akha · Sino-Tibetan family

100% speak Akha

Gospel resources in Akha

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Akha

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

Akha in other countries

The same people (ROP3 100185) is reported in 4 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
AkhaChina311,000Engaged yet Unreached
AkhaMyanmar230,000No Longer Unreached
AkhaLaos113,000Unengaged and Unreached
AkhaVietnam1,700Engaged yet Unreached

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