In their language, Gapong means "brain"—therefore the autonym of this interesting group means "Brainy Tai." Other Tai groups call them Phutai, but although the Tai Gapong say they are distantly related to the Phutai, they are now a distinct tribe with their own customs, history and dialect. In fact, even the Phutai who live in the Tai Gapong village in Thailand consider them different.
The Tai Gapong say that they originated in Borikhamxai Province, Laos, in a district known as Gapong, from which they took their name. According to Joachim Schliesinger, "the ancestors of the Tai Gapong in Thailand migrated westwards from central Laos, crossed the Mekong and settled in their present location in 1844 or 1845. The reason for their migration is unclear; they may have been taken as war captives and resettled across the Mekong River by the Siamese army or migrated voluntarily."
The majority of the Tai Gapong people inhabit a single village in Thailand—Ban Varit in Waritchaphum District of Sakhon Nakhon Province, though a smaller number live in Laos. The Tai Gapong in Laos inhabit Ban Nahuong near the Lao border with Vietnam.
For generations, Tai Gapong women have worn an elaborate traditional dress that sets them apart from other tribes. It consists of a short skirt that falls just below the knees, "with white, red, brown, and yellow horizontal stripes at its lower part, a long sleeved dark colored vest buttoned in the middle with silver coins and decorated with red bands along the hem, collar and sleeve ends."
All Tai Gapong people in Thailand are Buddhists, while among those in Laos the situation is not so clear. Although many Tai Gapong families in Laos claim to be Buddhists, their ceremonies and rituals are dominated by animistic practices.
Even in Thailand the Tai Gapong reportedly "believe in an array of spirits, such as the spirit of the village, the spirit of the house, the spirit of the water, the spirit of the tree, but their most important spiritual being is chao pu mahaesak, an angel-like being, humanized in the form of a man-like statue in his shrine. The Tai Gapong honor chao pu mahaesak each year on a specific day with flowers, whisky, rice, and other small sacrifices."
Because few people are even aware of the existence of the Tai Gapong people, little or no Christian outreach has ever been conducted among them. Few Tai Gapong have heard the gospel. They continue—as they have for centuries—to live their lives without the slightest knowledge of Jesus Christ or his salvation.
Pray for a movement of Jesus to heal and strengthen Tai Gapong communities.
Pray for a "Book of Acts" type of movement to Christ among the Tai Gapong.
Pray for the Tai Gapong people to understand and embrace that Jesus wants to bless their families and neighborhoods.
Pray for Holy Spirit anointed believers from the Tai Gapong people to change their society from within.
Pray for a movement in which the Holy Spirit leads and empowers Tai Gapong disciples to make more disciples.
Scripture Prayers for the Tai Gapong in Laos.
Peoples of the Buddhist World, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
