DAY 4 – November 28 – Understanding Thailand’s Ethnic Diversity – 114 Ethnic People Groups.
Today is Day 4 of our Season of Prayer of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand. Please join us and invite your friends to join us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus.
DAY 4 - November 28, 2020 - "Understanding Thailand’s Ethnic Diversity - Home to Over 114 Different Ethnic People Groups.”
When most people think of the country of Thailand, they mistakenly think that the Thai people are all from one specific people group where everyone speaks the central Thai language in their homes. However, that simply and very clearly is not the case. Yes, most citizens of Thailand can speak Central Thai because all education in Thailand is done in the Central Thai language but ethnically, linguistically, and culturally, Thailand is made up of 114 different people groups and 80 of these people groups are considered unreached people groups (upgs). It is true that the Central Thai are the largest people group in Thailand with a population of around 25,500,000 (if you include the numbers for the Thai-Chinese) according to Joshua Project statistics. However, what that also means is that out of the 69,000,000 people in Thailand, 39% are from the Central Thai people group and 61% are from a different ethnic group than the Central Thai group. What that means is that 61% of the Thai people speak a different language in their homes with their families and close friends than they do when they are in public or in school.
We live in the far Northern part of Thailand where there are dozens and dozens of different ethnic groups living here, some of them from neighboring countries as close as a 45 minute drive from our home. I can be at the border of Laos and the border of Myanmar (former Burma) in less than 45 minutes. I can be at the border of China in less than 6 hours by car. We truly are strategically located in a place with a great diversity of unreached people groups living all around us. Our church, Baan Athitaan Church, is a true community church made up of over 23 different people groups that meet together for worship every Sunday morning.
Please take
a look at the map of “Progress of the Gospel by People Group.” What I want you
to notice is where all of the red is located. The red areas are the areas of
the world that are home to the least reached people groups of the world. Most
of them are in North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia.
Thailand is right in the heart of South East Asia and is strategically located
and has the potential to have a strong influence for Christ on hundreds of
people groups in this part of God’s world yet we much reach a good portion of
the Thai people first in order for this to happen.
Today of
the 69 million people who call “Thailand” their home country, less that 1%
truly know Jesus as their personal Savior. Would you please pray that God would
burden the hearts of God’s people all over the world to pray fervently, to
give generously (especially during the Christmas season), and to
go intentionally (on a short term or even better a long term mission
trip) and partner with us here at NTIM to reach the nations
for Jesus by “making disciples of all the nations.”
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