Overview

More than 21 million people live in the Isan region of Northeastern Thailand, making it the country’s largest population centre. Yet only about 45,000 are known believers—a mere 0.2% of the population. 

Isan culture is rich with music, dance, food and storytelling. Many families make a living through rice farming and small-scale agriculture, often facing economic hardship and limited opportunities.

Although Scripture is available in Central Thai, many Isan people struggle to clearly understand the gospel through a language that is not widely used in their homes and communities. Traditional beliefs and animistic practices also remain deeply rooted.

For many Isan people, stories, songs and the spoken word are more natural than written text. That is why this initiative is translating Scripture orally—so people can hear, remember and share God’s Word in the Isan language. One Isan woman expressed the significance of hearing Scripture in her own language:

“I didn’t know God could hear the Isan language. I always asked my pastor to pray in Thai because I thought God only understands Thai.”

You can help make God’s Word accessible to Isan people in a language that speaks to their hearts.

Your partnership is key

Through your prayers and financial gifts, you can help local Christians translate and share Scripture orally with communities across Northeastern Thailand.

The Isan Oral Bible Translation team is working to:

• Translate and record stories and passages from the Gospels, beginning with Luke and followed by the book of Acts.

• Train mother-tongue translators and translation advisors to lead the work.

• Conduct community testing and consultant checks to ensure translations are accurate, clear and natural.

• Equip local storytellers to share translated Bible stories in churches, small groups and community gatherings.

• Strengthen partnerships with local churches so Scripture in Isan can increasingly be used for evangelism, discipleship and ministry.

As oral Scripture becomes available, families will be able to hear God’s Word in the language of their homes, pastors will have Scripture people can clearly understand, and storytellers can help carry its message from community to community.