About the People
The Royal Kingdom of Thailand (which means Land of the Free) was founded in 1238 in a declaration of independence from Khmer overlords. Bordered by Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia, the country also boasts coastlines on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Thailand exports large quantities of Jasmin rice, silk cloth, silver and silver jewelry, wicker weaving, cabbage, herbs and naturally-dyed cotton. Open-air markets carry plenty of fresh produce at reasonable prices, and vegetarian restaurants abound. Temperatures range between 60 and 100 degrees year-round, and the political climate is peaceful.
Thailand is a deeply Buddhist nation, with over 92 percent of its population espousing the Buddhist faith. Missionaries have had very little success at penetrating this massive “spiritual wall.” Only about 1.6 percent of the Thai population is Christian. There are 37 Seventh-day Adventist churches in Thailand, most of which are in northern Thailand. Hua Hin—the focus of the Southern Thai Project—has no Seventh-day Adventist presence.
About the Project
The primary goal of the AFM missionaries on the Isan Buddhists project is to establish an indigenous church-planting movement among the Isan Buddhists in Thailand. AFM missionaries live closely among the people, learn the Thai language, study local culture and religion, and build deep friendships to reach this goal. Using what they learn, they will craft evangelistic materials for the Thai Buddhist context. Their aim is to share Christianity in a way that leads to conversions that are deeply meaningful and lasting. Local converts will be discipled to become leaders in the first church planted and trained to plant new churches. In this way, the result will be a locally-led newborn Adventist Christian movement that continues expanding God’s kingdom in Thailand.
People-Group Facts
- Population: 67 million
- Language: Thai
- Religion: Buddhism
Please pray for Arraya and her children as we support their journey as new disciples and that Arraya will be able to lead her extended family to Jesus.
By:
Jared Wright
December 01 2024, 3:27 pm | Comments 0
We need to stand strong in our faith by surrendering to Jesus daily, asking Him to work in and through us, and reading and listening to God’s Word.
By:
Claudette & René Aleman
November 01 2024, 1:24 pm | Comments 0
Please continue to pray for our team as we work to normalize social dialogue around our thoughts and feelings, especially painful ones, among the Isan Thai people.
By:
Jared Wright
November 01 2024, 12:56 pm | Comments 0
God clearly has big plans, and we are excited to be a part of them as we focus on remaining aligned with His will.
By:
Claudette Aleman
August 01 2024, 2:49 pm | Comments 0
Thank you for supporting the work of planting emotionally healthy spiritual family groups among the nearly 20 million Isan Thai people of northeast Thailand.
By:
Jared Wright
May 01 2024, 8:15 pm | Comments 0
Please continue to pray for our team as we seek to form spiritual family groups from those who have gone through the difficult but necessary work of trauma healing and liberation from false teachings that prevent them from experiencing the fullness of life that Jesus desires for them.
By:
Jared Wright
April 01 2024, 12:30 pm | Comments 0
We want to help them discover and unlock all the potential that God has created in them and train them to heal their communities. Pray that our team will learn to listen more and elevate others like Jesus did.
By:
Jared Wright
February 01 2024, 3:26 pm | Comments 0
As we look to the future, we also have hope because we know that we have the faithful support of God and our family and friends around the world.
By:
Jared Wright
January 01 2024, 3:19 pm | Comments 0
We believe that with your help, many families here in Thailand will be transformed and learn to delight in healthy relationships as God intended.
By:
Jared Wright
October 01 2023, 2:42 pm | Comments 0