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People group profile · PG020934

The Phunoi of Laos

The Phunoi of Laos, numbering about 48,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a small Tibeto‑Burman ethnic group living mainly in the mountains of northern Laos (and nearby Vietnam/Thailand).

They are an indigenous people in the Other Tibeto-Burmese people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Phunoi.

Pray for the PhunoiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Phunoi people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Phunoi

Fast facts

Country
Laos
Population
48,500
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary language
Phunoi (pho)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
No Evangelicals, Churches or Resources
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Phongsali province: around the town of Phongsali

Where they live

Gospel status

The Phunoi are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, there are no evangelical Christians or churches among this people group and there is no access to evangelical print, audio, visual or human resources.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Phunoi

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

100% adherents

Primary language

Phunoi · Sino-Tibetan family

100% speak Phunoi

Gospel resources in Phunoi

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not 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 Phunoi

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

Download a prayer guide

Phunoi in other countries

The same people (ROP3 108015) is reported in 2 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
PhunoiThailand14,000Unengaged and Unreached
CongVietnam2,000Unengaged and Unreached

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