Isan of Northeast Thailand

  • Pre-Entry
  • Pre-Evangelism
  • Evangelism
  • Discipleship
  • Phase-Out
  • Completed

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

Frontier Stories

In Your Corner

Would you like to partner with us in helping the Isan Thai people to learn how to live as representatives of Jesus in their families and communities?

By: Jared Wright
September 01 2025, 9:17 am | Comments 0

New Beginnings

Please pray for these children, as they can be an open door to the families in this new area that we have entered.

By: Claudette Aleman
September 01 2025, 8:55 am | Comments 0

Unempowered Potential

Bloy was dejected, but we never let her give up on herself.

By: Jared Wright
August 01 2025, 4:21 pm | Comments 0

Inspire and Invest

“If I get the chance, I would like to go to university. I want more from life than what I have now.”

By: Nilubon Srisai
June 01 2025, 2:25 pm | Comments 0

My Everyday AFM Mission Life

The paper says how much God loves them, even in the sad times.

By: Adela Aleman
June 01 2025, 10:33 am | Comments 0

With Holy Boldness

Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us with holy boldness.

By: Claudette Aleman
May 01 2025, 1:47 pm | Comments 0

He’s Not Heavy, He’s My Stuffy

“Imagine a world where every child’s hurt, every child’s cry, and every child’s need is met by a loving adult” (Dr. Karyn Purvis1).

By: Jared Wright
April 01 2025, 9:35 am | Comments 0

Reimagining Home

Please continue to pray for our team as we are working to partner with local leaders to help the Isan Thai people reimagine home and family spaces as grounding places where they can find shelter from the storms of life and a secure base from which to interact with their wider communities.

By: Jared Wright
March 01 2025, 10:33 am | Comments 0

The Power of Love

Nat wasn’t jealous. He was afraid. He was afraid that my love would run out. 

By: Nilubon Srisai
March 01 2025, 9:27 am | Comments 0

Intentional and Interested

I was ready to suggest going home when I thought of how important it was for me to pray for all the people around me. That gave us purpose and intentionality, not just spending time with family but interceding for those around us.

By: Claudette Aleman
March 01 2025, 9:21 am | Comments 0

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