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The Lao Phuan of Thailand

The Lao Phuan of Thailand, numbering approximately 211,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tai people of Thailand descended from Phuan communities of the Xiangkhouang Plateau in Laos, many forcibly resettled into Siam during late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century wars. They mostly adhere to Theravada Buddhism and Phuan is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Lao Phuan

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Southeast Asian Peoples
Country: Thailand
People Cluster: Tai
Primary Language(s): Phuan (phu)
Primary Religion(s): Theravada Buddhism
Population: 211,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG010882
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Pray for the Lao Phuan of Thailand

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Religious Affiliation: Buddhism

96%
%
Theravada Buddhism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Phuan
Language Family: Tai-Kadai

100%
%
Phuan Speakers

Media Resources in Phuan:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Phuan:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Phuan bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Lao Phuan are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Lao Phuan:
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

Pray specifically for the Lao Phuan of Thailand

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
readRomans 10:14

Pray that those who haven't heard will hear the Word of Christ and believe in Him, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
readPsalm 1:1-2

Pray that God will call out many sons and daughters from among them and give them a deep love for His Word.

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
readPsalm 100:3-4

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be in awe of the Lord God, their Creator, and will give Him thanksgiving and praise.

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
readIsaiah 51:11

Pray that, as God sends people to cross cultures and share the good news of Jesus, many will turn to the Lord in repentance and faith and start a personal relationship with Him that will bring them everlasting joy.

Phuan Across Countries (ROP3 - 108011) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDNameCountryPopulation ▲Strategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
PhuanPG020932PhuanLaos175,000Engaged yet UnreachedPhuanTheravada Buddhism
Lao PhuanPG010882Lao PhuanThailand211,000Engaged yet UnreachedPhuanTheravada Buddhism

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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