Phunoi People

The Phunoi (Thai: ผู้น้อย; Lao: ຜູ້ນ້ອຍ; also spelled Phu Noi or Phounoi, and called Côông, Cống, or formerly Khong in Vietnam) are a tribal people of Laos, Northern Thailand, and Vietnam. They are related to the Mpi people and the Bisu people. “Phunoi” means “little man” in various Tai languages and is not this ethnic group’s original name, which is probably “Khong”.

The Phou Noi inhabit portions of Phongsaly. Very little is known about them, except that they are similar to other Tibeto-Burman people, who migrated from southern China into northern Laos. As hill people, the Phou Noi are hunters and gather forest products, as well as farm. Phou Noi villages consist of small groups of houses made of wood or bamboo, built on stilts, and clustered against the sides of the hills. They practice an ethnic religion, which is often a blend of animism and ancestor worship.