Research & Article

In 1990, the eight northern provinces of Thailand – Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Nan, Lampang, and Lamphun – had a combined population of approximately 5 million people. Among this population, 20,000 individuals adhered to Roman Catholicism. Notably, in Lampang province, two Italian priests from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Mission (PIME) were responsible for overseeing 700 people from 46 villages, comprising individuals from the Karen, Akha, Lahu (or Muser), and Yao ethnic groups.