How beautiful on the
mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who
bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God
reigns!"
Isaiah 52:7
 | There are more than 1,290,000 Thai living in the mountains of northern Vietnam. Many are also found in Thailand, Laos, China, USA and France. This figure actually includes six ethnic groups in Vietnam, who have distinct languages, customs, and history. The composite group is mostly a construction of the Vietnamese government. It is not accurate, therefore, to say that these six ethnic groups form a unified people group. Furthermore, the relationship with the Thais of Thailand is somewhat distant. |
| The largest Thai group is called the Black Thai (Tay Dam), numbering over 500,000 people. The White Thai (Tay Don) amounts to about 200,000. The Phu Thai has a population of about 150,000 and the Red Thai has 100,000. Several smaller groups also exist, including the Tai Hang Tong and the Tai Man Thanh. |
|
The Thai peoples are clearly in great need for the gospel. Probably less than 2,000 are known to be Christian in all of Vietnam. |
Note: Some of this information is from: The Peoples of Vietnam, A Collection of Prayer Profiles by Asian Minorities Outreach, Darawan Printing,1998.
07/03/2003