People group profile · PG010886
The Lua of Thailand
The Lua of Thailand, numbering about 66,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Austroasiatic-speaking highland people of northern Thailand who speak Prai or related Lua languages and maintain cultural traditions shaped by village life, spirit beliefs, ancestor reverence, and upland agriculture.
They are an indigenous people in the Mon-Khmer people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Phai.
Fast facts
- Country
- Thailand
- Population
- 66,500
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Mon-Khmer
- Primary language
- Phai (prt)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Expanding Unreached People Group
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Lua 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 Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Lua
- 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
Animism · Ethnoreligion
95% adherents
Primary language
Phai · Austroasiatic family
100% speak Phai
Gospel resources in Phai
- Bible available, published 2019
- JESUS Film not available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Bibles
- Bible Society in Turkey · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Lua
- 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.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
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