Tai Ya in Thailand


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Identity

Despite being acknowledged as a separate language by the Chinese, the Ya were combined with other related groups to form the official Dai nationality. The Ya are also known locally as the Cung and Tai Ya. Subgroups of the Ya include the Tai Sai and Tai Ka.


History

The Ya were originally part of the great Tai group. Today, after centuries of migration, as many as 20 million people scattered across southern China still belong to Tai related groups - including members of the Zhuang, Bouyei, Shui, and Dai nationalities. Other Tai groups have migrated as far west as northeast India, and as far east as China's Hainan Island and Vietnam.


Customs

The practice of tattooing has long held a prominent place in Ya culture. Legend has it that a long time ago there was no sun in the sky. Instead, a big pearl on a pipal tree gave light to the people. One day a demon stole the pearl. Wannapa, a Tai hero, started a long expedition to the edge of hell to recover it. On his way he recorded line maps on his body using sap, to enable him to find his way back. However, he found that after a few days the lines faded from the rain and sweat so he courageously bore the pain of pricking thorns into his skin to make the maps sustainable. Chinese records from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) nickname the Tai "those with embroidered feet" in reference to their custom of tattooing.


Religion

The Ya are polytheists and animists. "The Buddhist Tai call all these illiterate Tai, Tai Ya. They say that the Lord Buddha once tried to teach these Tai, but found them so 'thick' that he desisted," recorded a researcher in the 1920s. Each year before the Ya plant their seeds, offerings are made to the spirit of the field and the goddess of rice.


Christianity

Few Ya today have ever heard of Christ. Little has advanced in regard to Christianity among the Ya since one missionary who worked in southern China in the 1920s wrote, "Most of the tribes people are very ignorant and many have no written language of their own. Throughout that part of the province which is inhabited by tribal people, little Christian work has yet been done. Many areas have never even been explored."


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Tai Ya in Thailand.


Profile Source:   Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

People Name General Tai Ya
People Name in Country Tai Ya
Pronunciation Tai Yah
Alternate Names Chung; Cung; Dai Ya; Tai Chung; Tai Cung
Population this Country 1,100
Population all Countries 68,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 18725
ROP3 Code 114360
ROP25 Code 308878
ROP25 Name Ya
Country Thailand
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chiang Rai province: Mae Chan district.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Thailand
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chiang Rai province: Mae Chan district..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 70.00 %)
80.00 %
Ethnic Religions
20.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Tai Ya (1,100 speakers)
Language Code cuu   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Tai Ya (1,100 speakers)
Language Code cuu   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Tai Ya

Primary Language:  Tai Ya

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1922)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source Arian Zwegers - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source Anonymous  
Profile Source Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©  Used with permission 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



Joshua Project logo    Joshua Project    Copyright © 2024