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People group profile · PG010892

The Moken of Thailand

The Moken of Thailand, numbering about 2,300 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Indigenous Austronesian sea‑nomadic people who traditionally live throughout the Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar) and the Andaman Sea waters of Thailand.

They are an indigenous people in the Malay people cluster of the Malay Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Moken.

Pray for the MokenPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Thailand
Population
2,300
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Malay
Primary language
Moken (mwt)
Primary religion
Animism
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
Also known as
Chao Lay, Salon, Salone
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Moken 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 Moken

  • 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

80% adherents

Primary language

Moken · Austronesian family

84% speak Moken

Gospel resources in Moken

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

Films

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

Pray for the Moken

  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

Moken in other countries

The same people (ROP3 106723) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
MokenMyanmar4,000Engaged yet Unreached

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